


BATIM: Drowned in Ink

by QueenCelina33



Category: Bendy and the Ink Machine
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe, Boris is a good boy, Gen, Mix of Canon and AU, No Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-17
Updated: 2018-11-12
Packaged: 2019-03-20 09:40:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 33
Words: 76,729
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13714998
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/QueenCelina33/pseuds/QueenCelina33
Summary: It's been 30 years since Henry has been to the old workshop where he worked as an animator. And 30 years since he's seen his best friend, Joey Drew. When Henry gets a letter inviting him to visit the old workshop from Joey, he thinks that nothing can go wrong and that this visit could be a chance to see his pal again. I mean, what's the worst that could happen? Joey performs a Satantic ritual? Oh, wait...Join Henry on this adventure full of fright and surprise as he makes some new friends, finds an old one, and tries to stop his best friend from bringing more evil to the world.





	1. Old Friends and New Monsters

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, welcome to my first story here on AO3! I'm Celina and I decided to join this site so I could expand where I have my written works! I hope you will enjoy this story!  
> Note that this story is a mix of canon and the actual plot of Bendy and the Ink Machine, so some detail contradict canon.

It was a beautiful sunny day within a small town. A few puffy clouds drifted across the sky and birds flew about, tweeting their little songs. Cars zoomed through the roads lined with trees and shops. The residential area was fairly quiet since most adults were at work and kids were in school. The smell of freshly mowed grass lingered and most of the houses had splendid yards and lovely plants.

Within one house, a man walked into the living room of his home, the walls painted a pale purple and the fresh white carpet flattening under his feet. The man was tall, his hair brown with hints of gray and bright blue eyes. His skin was fair, he wore a crisp white dress shirt, a black belt, tan pants, and shiny black shoes. He smiled as he walked into his living room, his eyes closed and his face reading peacefulness.

Henry took soft steps, before stopping and opening his eyes. He turned his head to look at a small table next to his chair. There rested a dark yellow envelope with a red seal keeping it closed. The former animator turned on his heels. He had received this letter just this morning, but had forgotten to open it and read it after he started talking with his wife, Linda. Henry took steps to the table and reached down to pick it up. Pulling the flap free from the seal, he spoke to himself. “Let’s see, who’s this letter from?”

His eyelids went halfway over his eyes as he read the letter.

_“Dear Henry,_

_It seems like a lifetime since we worked on cartoons together. 30 years really slips away, doesn’t it?_

_If you’re back in town, come visit the old workshop. There’s something I need to show you._

_Your best pal, Joey Drew.”_

Henry’s eyes widened and he looked at the letter with surprise. “Joey?” He looked over the letter again. The handwriting did, indeed, match the handwriting of his old friend, Joey Drew.

Before he had his current job, Henry started an animation studio with his best friend, Joey. They decided to name the studio after Joey and began making animations. Henry was the one who came up with most of their characters and Joey was a man of ideas, and only ideas. He and Henry had eventually had a falling out and Henry left the studio for better things.

However, in the 30 years they had been apart, he had dearly missed his old friend. They hadn’t talked for ages. Getting this letter gave him some comfort at knowing that Joey still remembered him.

A smile crossed Henry’s face. “Well, my old pal Joey wrote to me!” He chuckled and closed his eyes at remembering the old workshop where they had made their animations. “The old workshop? Man, I haven’t been there in years. The old place must be falling apart by now.” He looked down at the letter again, his brows curving inward and his face looking more reminiscent now. He hadn’t talked to Joey for ages and he really did miss the guy. “Man, I haven’t seen Joey in years either.” Maybe them meeting at the old workshop would be the perfect way to catch up? He didn’t know why the studio out of all places, but he figured Joey just couldn’t let go of the old place.

“Maybe… maybe stopping by the workshop won’t be so bad,” Henry voiced. His grin got a little wider as he set the envelope back on the table. As he turned to walk out of the living room, he put his arms up a bit and closed his eyes. “I mean, what’s the worst that could happen? Joey performed a satanic ritual?” The former animator laughed. “Ha, nah.”

About that, Henry…

*****

Henry stared in horror at the pentagram drawn in ink on the floor in front of him. A few candles dimly lit the area. The flames gave off enough of their glow to reveal that the pentagram wasn’t the only thing in the room. A few chairs were scattered to his left and two large coffins lay to his right. There was also one leaning against the wall in front of him.

The older man, covered in ink and clutching onto his axe, found his eyes widening and his jaw dropping open. If he wasn’t so winded from the fall he had taken after trying to escape the studio, he would have screamed. Henry was only joking when he said Joey had done a ritual. He didn’t actually expect for that to have happened.

Finally finding his voice, the former animator said in a voice barely above a whisper, “Dear God… Joey actually performed a satanic ritual.” After standing in the entrance to the room for so long, he managed to move a foot forward, then his other, then his first again, until he was walking towards the pentagram. “Lord almighty,” Henry uttered, despite his shock at finding the place and nearly being caught by some kind of monster. “Joey, what on Earth were you doing?” The man finally reached the symbols drawn on the wooden floorboards and he stared in disbelief and denial. He didn’t want to believe that Joey had done this, but that was the only person he could think of the have pulled such a ludicrous stunt. Joey had always been a little… out there, but this? Was this what Joey wanted to show Henry? Had he summoned some kind of monster or demon? Henry never believe in such things, but now he had to face facts: Joey had summoned something and now, it was after him.

_“HENRRRYYYY…”_

The former animator’s eyes went wide and a chill ran down his spine. That voice was dark and sinister and had a childish tone to it. It was horrifying and he knew exactly where it was coming from. Right down the hall he had walked down. “Oh, hell no,” Henry pleaded. His tone went to panic as he looked around. “I gotta get out of here!” He looked to the wall where a coffin was leaning and noticed a door to the left of it. Dropping his axe, he gripped the knob and desperately tried to turn it. However, it seemed to be locked because the knob didn’t budge. That didn’t deter the man though. “C’mon, c’mon, open!” he demanded.

Slow, loud steps began to echo down the hallway as the best drew closer to his target. He had wanted this for so long, for so many years and now, there was no escape for his prey. He would enjoy this, oh yes, he would savor every moment of this.

Henry felt beads of sweat roll down the side of his face. Whether from fear or the strain on his body he wasn’t sure. He did know that the door wasn’t opening but he had to get out. He couldn’t let that monster get him. “C’mon--open!” he shouted again.

A hand was held up and white claws began to run along the walls, tearing to wallpaper and leaving long, crooked black marks in their wake. Was the old man really trying to escape through that door? That door had been locked for years now. There was no hope for him, he was dead where he stood.

Henry squeezed his eyes shut and grunted as he pulled on the doorknob again. “OPEN, DAMN IT!” he screeched.

_“OH, HENRY…”_

His eyes snapped open and his blood ran cold. The voice had spoke to him again, but this time, it was right behind him. His mind immediately went into fight, flight or freeze mode and he stood in his place, fear taking a tight grip on him. He wanted to deny that… that thing was behind him, but he knew that it was there. Henry didn’t know what this monster was, but he knew that he was in deep trouble now. “No,” he muttered. He so badly didn’t want to turn around, but a voice in the back of his mind told him to do so. Slowly turning his head, he gulped and looked over his shoulder… only to be met with the face of an ink demon.

“Boo.”

Henry screamed in a high pitched voice and brought his hands close to his chest, balling them up in a defensive way. If his eyes could have gone any wider, they would have, because before him stood a tall black creature. He had a cartoony looking bow tie on his chest, white gloves dripping with rivulets of black, and a sinister smile plastered on his face. He towered over the man and gazed down at him despite the lack of visible eyes. The smile on his face… it should have been cute but instead it was horrifying.

A gargled laugh came from the creature as he stared down at Henry, a long, inky tail swinging back and forth. Henry shook in his place and this only made the monster laugh more. “Well, well, well, Henry,” came that dark and impish voice. “Seems like you’re in a bit of a…” he put his hands together, before moving them apart, trails of black and white breaking apart between his hands. “ _Sticky_ situation.” He chuckled again.

Henry’s breaths came in short, rapid ones and his whole body quivered from terror. He would have said something if he wasn’t scared out of his wits.This was it, this was how he was going to die. He was going to be choked to death or eaten by this… this… this inky black monster. He looked up with half closed eyes, tiny whimpers coming from his lips.

The demon frowned. “Huh, tough crowd,” came his guttural voice again. His scowl turned back into a grin and he shook his head. “Oh well, it doesn’t matter. What matters is that I’ve got you right where I want you.”

Henry’s mind screamed at him to look at the floor as he remembered something. Didn’t he have an axe just a second ago? He looked down and, sure enough, there lay his weapon. He couldn’t go down without a fight. No, he wasn’t completely helpless. He could fight, if could just… The man slowly got onto one knee and reached down.

The demon would have raised a brow if he had any. What was he--he saw the axe on the floor and he let out a sharp snarl of anger. “HEY!” He raised a claws hand and roared an unnatural, garbled roar.

Henry’s mind went into panic mode again and he quickly grabbed the sharp object, clutching it with both hands. He held it up like a sword and bared his teeth in response to another growl from the monster. He knew he very well couldn’t fight this thing, it had to be three or four times his size. Henry could, however, distract him. A hand swung and with adrenaline kicking in, Henry ducked under it. He pulled his axe back and took a deep breath, before swinging and landing a hit directly on the creature’s arm.

 _“AHHHHHHHH!”_ The monster roared in agony and stumbled back a few steps. Now was his chance. Henry took off in a sprint, right past the pained monster and out the door. He needed to get away and this was his only chance. So he didn’t stop running. Henry took off as the monster ripped the axe from his arm and held his wound. He didn’t look back after that.

*****

Heavy footsteps came from down a nearby hall, and the former animator slowed his rapid pace as he came to a small room. He stopped and looked at the hall he had just run down. Henry panted with sweat rolling down the sides of his face. He took a moment to look around the room. Several splotches of ink were splattered on the walls. Written in the same substance were the words, “THE CREATOR LIED TO US.” Henry looked back at the hall after finally catching his breath. “Okay,” he said to no one but himself. “That should keep him busy for a bit.” He looked around the room once more, before he noticed something he hadn’t before.

There was another door leading away from the hallway that led to the pentagram room. He hadn’t even seen it after coming down the stairs from the room he fell into. Cocking his head to the side, Henry muttered, “...I didn’t try that door yet…” He took slow steps as he approached the door. At this point, he didn’t know what the expect from this place. Joey had done something to the studio and now… now he was in more danger than he ever knew.

Henry finally reached to door and and gripped the knob. This was it, he had to be prepared for whatever came his way. He turned the handle and pulled the door open…

Only to be grabbed by the collar of his shirt and pulled into the entrance. “WHAT THE--” came his shout, and after that was said, the door slammed shut.

Little did Henry know what would await him within the walls of this studio and on the other side of that door...


	2. Reminiscing in Inky Hallways

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone! Welcome to the next chapter of, "Drowned in Ink!" I have this and another chapter ready and am working on the fourth chapter. I hope you enjoy! This one is a lot of dialogue and backstory.

Henry's expression turned to shock as the door slammed behind him and he put his hands against the door. He didn't know what had just happened, but he had a feeling he was in for some big trouble. However, that thought changed when he looked in front of him and noticed a young woman standing in front of him. She had short reddish-blondish hair, deep brown eyes and dark skin. She wore a pale purple shirt, gold bracelets, a blue skirt, a gray belt with a gold buckle, and black heels. A look of disbelief and anger was written on her features. She glared at Henry with those dark eyes and finally spoke to him.

"What on Earth are you doing out there?!" she yelled. It was obvious from her thick brows being furrowed that she couldn't  _believe_ someone was out there,  _out there!_ Where the ink monster could get them! "Don't you know there's a monster out there?!" The woman pointed a finger with a painted nail at him. "If you're not careful, you're gonna get killed!"

Henry had listened to every word this woman had said, but he couldn't help but think that her voice and appearance were vaguely familiar. Hadn't he met this woman somewhere? Then it hit him: an old friend who was like a niece to him. He just had to make sure.

The older man squinted a bit "...Betty," he questioned. "Betty Landons, is that you?"

The woman lightened her glare and looked up at the man, blinking at the question. This man knew her name? Wait, that face, those bright blue eyes… only one man she had ever known had eyes like that. She didn't know for sure, but she had to check. "...Henry? 'Uncle' Henry?"

Henry put a hand to his chest and nodded. "Yeah, it's me." So it was Betty! Betty had been the daughter of the financial manager, Grant Cohen, and he had watched over her when she was little. He and his best friend always said she was like a niece to them, so she started calling him and Joey her uncles.

Betty's expression changed to one of joy and held her arms out to her sides. "Oh my goodness! Henry!" she exclaimed. "I haven't seen you in years! What are you doing all the way back here in the old workshop?"

The former animator shook his head. God, if only this woman knew of the hell and back he had just been in. Sighing softly, he spoke. "Joey sent me a letter inviting me here. He said he wanted to show me something, so I came back here and turned on the Ink Machine." He put a hand to his forehead. "I'm guessing that was a mistake on my part, because… that thing popped out and came after me."

Betty shuddered for a second. She knew exactly what "thing" he was talking about. That monster had been chasing her around for some time, and she had barely managed to escape his grasp. She slightly curled up in fear. "Oh, you mean… Bendy?"

If music had been going on a record player, it would have scratched to a halt as Henry heard that name. "Bendy." The name of the beloved cartoon character who had given Joey and Henry their start in the animation industry. He was a tiny cartoon devil with a bow tie and shiny black shoes, and his signature grin was recognized the world over. But did Betty really just tell the man that…  _that thing…_ was Bendy?! Henry replied, "Wait… Bendy?!" with shock evident in his tone.

Betty solemnly nodded. "Yep. That thing is Bendy."

Henry held up a hand and closed his eyes, furrowing his brows. "Wait a minute…" He reopened his eyes and pointed to the door behind him. "Are you telling me that…  _that thing_ …" He then put his hand up and moved them so there was a small space between them. "Is the cute, tiny cartoon devil I used to draw all the time?"

Betty sighed and looked to the side. She should have known Henry didn't know what had happened to Bendy. Then again, Bendy had only come to life after his leaving the studio. "Unfortunately, yes…" She returned her gaze to her figurative uncle. "Walk with me, Henry. I need to explain what Joey did.

*****

As Henry walked beside Betty down the long hallway, she held up a hand and began to explain what had happened while Henry had left the studio.

"See, after you left, Joey said he had an idea. He wanted to test a new machine he had built. We didn't know what it did. Only that, according to Joey, it would, 'prove his theory right.' So he turned it on, flipped some switches, and Joey pulled off all the excess ink to reveal… Bendy." She made some small gestures as she talked, motioning turning on the machine, wiping away ink, and revealing something.

"At first, despite that he knew all of us, he was so shy. However, Joey slowly helped him come out of his shell. He was a constant happy presence around the workshop. He would sit at everyone's desks. He'd bring people their drinks. He's even dance for us. Everything was perfect for years." Betty's expression fell as she continued her walk down memory lane. "The, one day, Joey had another idea. He wanted to give Bendy a friend, so he made… Boris.

"Bendy and Boris already knew each other, so they were happy to be reunited. And Boris was a joy to have around. Everything was perfect again. Then, about ten years ago, Joey… changed. He became very aggressive and almost delusional. He would mumble to himself, stuff about, 'appeasing the gods.' He became verbally abusive towards Boris. And when Bendy asked why, all Joey would tell him was, 'It's okay, Bendy. Daddy will make everything better.'

"Then, one day, I was minding my own business… when I thought I heard Boris, and he sounded scared. So I went to go see what was happening..."

*****

Betty's steps were quiet as she made her way down the hall to a nearby room. She had heard strange noises and what sounded like shouting. Curiosity drew her towards the noises and she couldn't help herself. She had to see what was going on.

The advisor's daughter stopped at the entrance to a small room. She didn't go past the wooden frame for fear of being found out, but she did listen to the snarls and words of anger that came from inside. With her mind gnawing at her to see what was wrong, she put a hand on the frame and peeked inside.

The room was crowded with several shelves and a couple of chairs, some candles lit upon two wooden posts. An operating table was standing in the middle of the room and in front of it stood Boris. He had his teeth bared in a vicious manner and his fists were clenched. Joey stood in front of the cartoon wolf, and Betty noticed that ink dripped onto the floor from the corners of his mouth. Raising a hand, Joey glared and Boris and entreated, "Now, Boris, be a dear and get on the operating table."

Another deep growl resonated from Boris' throat. "No!" he shouted. "Up until this point, you've treated me like $ *% and I won't stand for it!" A cartoon-like laugh came from his mouth where there should have been a swear. Betty managed to keep herself from laughing at it and watched intently.

Joey clasped his hand together in front of his chest and sighed, brows still furrowed in what looked like anger. "Boris, we can do this the easy way, or the hard way."

The wolf simply kept his eyes locked with Joey's green ones, fists balled up and teeth bared.

The leader of the studio narrowed his eyes. "Fine, I guess we're doing this the hard way." He cracked his knuckles, before walking up to the cartoon and grabbing his wrists with a tight grip.

Betty watched from her hidden position as Joey struggled to move the wolf's arms. Her mouth was slightly agape as she leaned a little close to the entrance.

Boris fought against the grip of his creator as hard as he could. "Hey, hey, what are you doing," he questioned. Joey didn't answer and he just push his wrists harder. Boris did his best to keep his hands from hitting the cold metal. Unfortunately, Joey was stronger than he thought and slammed his wrists into the metal. He quickly locked the cuffs around Boris' arms and stepped back, admiring his work.

The cartoon shook and tried to break his way out but the cuffs were too strong and he stayed in his place. "Joey, let me go!" he yelled. When that didn't elicit a response, he barked furiously.

Joey took a small scalpel from his pockets and spun it in one hand, before holding it and setting the tip on one of the fingers of his other hand. "Oh, Boris," came his voice with fake sincerity. "You're making this awfully difficult." He deep frown turned into a devilish grin. "But don't worry. It'll all be over soon."

That was when Betty walked away. She couldn't stand seeing her friend strapped down like that, and she didn't want to stay to see what Joey was going to do.

*****

Betty spoke again as the memory washed over her like water. "I didn't stay to see what Joey did. But I saw… the aftermath." Both Henry and Betty shook as they remembered the sight of Boris' corpse with his ribcage torn open and his organs gone, his eyes shaped into cartoon X's. The advisor's daughter found her voice and continued her walk down memory lane. "What Joey was sick and I couldn't believe it. I confronted Joey about it, told him he was crazy. I should have kept my mouth shut, because he threatened to fire me if I said anything to anyone else. This was the only job I could afford, so I kept my mouth shut. I shouldn't have.

"When Bendy found out, he was devastated. He got so angry at Joey, so angry. He screamed and cried."

*****

Bendy stood in front of the leader of the studio, his tail sticking straight out and fists clenched. His sharpened canines showed as he began to yell at Joey. "YOU LIAR!" He screamed in disbelief and anger. The dancing demon accusingly pointed a finger at the man. "You said you were gonna do something nice for him! AND NOW LOOK WHAT YOU DID!"

Joey looked at the small creature with slightly knitted brows and a small frown. At first, his face read indifference, before it turned to sincerity. He sighed and looked away. "You're right, Bendy. What I did was wrong. I'm so sorry." He then reached his arms out to the demon. "How about we go talk about this in my office?"

At first, Bendy could only stand there and sniffle. He didn't  _want_ to trust Joey after he had just murdered his best friend, but then again, this was his creator, his father. He wiped away some of the inky tears that ran down his face. "...Okay, Joey."

The leader of the studio carefully scooped the cartoon into his arms, before turning on his heels and heading towards his office.

*****

"So Joey took Bendy with him," Betty explained. "And we didn't see him for weeks. It was about three weeks before we saw Bendy again. Turns out, he had hidden himself away from us after Boris' death. He became very lonely, longing for another like himself. So, Sammy, who worshipped Bendy, noticed this and decided to use the Machine."

*****

Bendy sighed for the upteenth time as he turned in the drawer he used as a place to sleep. He let his head fall back onto the pillow. He didn't think he was ever going to leave this drawer. Honestly, he didn't want to. Footsteps came from down the hall, but the devil darling didn't bother to see who it was. However, he became a little more alert once a voice spoke to him.

"Bendy, my lord, I have come with an offering."

Sammy. Sammy Lawrence. The music department director. From what Bendy had seen, this man thought of him like some kind of deity and worshipped him. He would often make new music and give it to the demon as an, "offering." It was more than a little weird to Bendy and he often wondered if Sammy had lost it somehow. Sighing again and sitting up, he turned to face the human. "Sammy-"

Bendy stopped short and his eyes widened. Next to Sammy stood a cartoon was was slightly taller than the demon. She wore black heels, a black dress with detached sleeves, garter belts, white gloves and a little bow tie. She had long wavy hair. Two horns and a halo topped her head while her lips were lined with dark lipstick.

Sammy bowed his head and spoke in a respectful tone. "May I present… Alice Angel."

Bendy stood from his drawer and held up a hand. Did Sammy really… "Alice?"

She gave a soft smile, before waving and replying with, "Hiya, Bendy. Long time no see."

*****

Betty held up a hand as she looked up at Henry. "So Bendy and Alice bonded and Bendy was happy." Her tone shifted as she remembered what happened next. "Then... five years ago, came that fateful day."

Henry had listened to every word with the most intent, imagining everything in his head as Betty described it. He had shuddered at the thought of his best friend actually using that… machine to make their cartoons real. How on Earth did he even do that? What kind of black magic had Joey been using to do this? Is that what the pentagram was for? Did he sell his soul to the devil or something?

At the mention that something happened five years ago, those thoughts were filed away in the back of his mind. Stopping and turning all the way to face Betty, he gulped and nervously asked, "What… happened?"

"Well-"

_**WHACK!** _

Betty was cut short when out of nowhere, a board of wood flew into her face, the larger side smacking her in the side of the head.

Henry gasped and took a shocked step back. "BETTY!"

Betty stumbled for only a moment, holding her head with her hand. Her arm fell to her side a second later, and down she went, slamming into the floor with her arms out.

The former animator watched in horror, then his expression turned into anger. He turned his head to face where the board had come from. "HEY!"

_**WHACK!** _

Stars danced in his eyes and a throbbing pain emanated from his cranium after another wooden board was slammed into the side of his head. Henry stumbled backwards and tried to keep his balance. His head pounded and his vision was blurring in and out. Henry took deep breaths to try and alleviate the agony in his skull but he felt like he had just had his brain knocked around in his head. Opening his blue eyes, Henry managed to make ot the blurry form of… a black figure with a Bendy mask and overalls?

"Rest your head, it's time for bed," came a cryptic voice.

The man recognized that voice. He couldn't get the words out of his throat with his aching head. Tears were now forming in his eyes and he squeezed them shut. God, his head felt like it was going to explode. He choked a bit, before opening his eyes halfway and finally managing to stutter out, "S...Sammy?" And after that was said, he passed out, his body falling limp to the wooden floor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What happened five years ago? And what's gonna happen to Henry and Betty? Stick around for more!


	3. Sacrifices Must Be Made

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone! Welcome to the next chapter! This chapter is where some of chapter two comes into play. Enjoy!

Henry's head slowly swayed as he came to consciousness. His head hurt so badly. He thought for sure that his cranium had been cracked and the headache he had was worse than any migraine he had ever had. A soft groan of pain escaped his lips. However, he forgot about his misery when a voice entered his ears.

"There we go now. Nice and tight."

He winced. God, every little noise was amplified and just knocked his brain around. Slowly, but surely, Henry opened his eyes. Everything was very blurry and he couldn't really tell where he was. He could tell that he was still in the studio with the old wooden floorboards. He tried to lift up a hand to rub the side of his head… but he couldn't? Wait, what? Henry's eyes snapped open and he looked down. He was in a chair, which was kind of nice, but then he realized he was bound in ropes. "Huh? What the hell?" He tried to move his arms again but they were tightly bound to his torso. Henry didn't know how or why he was tied up, but his immediate focus was on getting out-

A groan of pain reached his ears and he looked around frantically. Where did-Then he remembered: Betty! He turned his head to his left and sure enough, there she was. Betty was in a chair beside him, shaking her head and gritting her teeth. Her eyes were half closed and when Henry saw the scratch on her cheek, he let a sharp gasp escape his lips.

Betty felt like her head had been cracked open. She didn't even know what had hit her, only that it was hard and had knocked her out. She could only remember talking to Henry and getting ready to explain, "the incident," when something hit her and everything went black. Where was she. "Wha…" she mumbled in her half awake state.

When he realized she could talk, Henry moved a little in his place, wanting to make sure she was okay. "Betty?"

The advisor's daughter became more alert and sat up straight. She had completely forgotten about Henry. She swung her head to look to her right and there was her figurative uncle, with a scratch on his cheek to match hers. "Henry?"

Henry's brows knitted in concern and he frowned. That scratch actually looked pretty bad, that wood must have hit her hard. I mean, it did knock her out. "Betty, are you okay," he asked.

Betty nodded despite the throbbing coming from the side of her face. "Yeah, my cheek's a little sore. What about-"

"We wouldn't want our sheep roaming away now, would we?"

Betty and Henry's attention went to a voice that came from in front of them and they both looked in shock. The man before them was covered in dark inky blackness, wearing a pair of old overalls and a Bendy mask with a missing mouth to show his own. His voice was deep, slightly scratchy, and very charismatic. However, it had a more sinister tone to it. The man let a chuckle vibrate from his chest and shook his head. "No, we wouldn't."

Henry gasped and Betty gaped in shock. They both knew that voice anywhere. "Sammy!" shouted Henry, raising his brows. That was his old friend, Sammy Lawrence! The music department director! He remembered all of the good times he had had with Sammy before he had left the studio. Though a very stubborn and reclusive man, he was actually pretty nice to hang out with.

However, this didn't appear to be Sammy anymore. He seemed to be an ink monster now, like the ones both Henry and Betty had fought going through this studio. He wasn't Sammy Lawrence anymore.

The inky man held up a hand. "I must admit," he drawled. "I am honored you came all the way down here to see me. It almost makes what I'm about to do seem cruel." He smiled widely. "But the believers must honor their savior. I must have him notice me."

Henry gulped and he could feel Betty trembling beside him at Sammy's words. Savior? Believers? Had Sammy truly gone mad in his worshipping for Bendy and let the monster's ink consume him? What had it done it him? He was hardly a man now and it was obvious that seeing Bendy as a deity was driving him to take the former animator and his figurative niece. What he was going to do to them now was uncertain to Henry, but he knew that they were definitely in trouble now.

Sammy squinted a bit as he looked through eyes slightly clouded with ink. Though the ink had done many things to his body, he was able to see his victims, and they looked… familiar? "Wait…" he reached a hand up to his mask, moving it so it was on his head. His blonde brows and bright purple eyes still looked very human like, but he was anything but that now. Opening his mouth to speak revealed a gray stained tongue. "You look familiar to me."

Betty furrowed her brows. Whatever Sammy was doing was really starting to piss her off. She couldn't believe it! Sammy had gone crazy and let himself be consumed in the inky madness Joey had brought into this world. Growling and trying to lean forward, Betty snarled out, "Yeah, we should! It's us, Betty and Henry!"

Sammy seemed to think about her words… only to put his mask back down and chuckle one more. "Not now. For our lord is calling to us, my little sheep. The time of sacrifice is at hand." He voice became stronger as he spoke, his inky hands curling and uncurling in anticipation. "And then, I will finally be free from this prison. This… inky... dark abyss I call a body."

Henry shook his head sadly. What had happened to the man he once knew? It seemed as though his worship for Bendy had been doubled, maybe even tripled and with the combination of… God knows what magic Joey had touched, it had driven him mad. Sammy Lawrence was gone, now a worshipper of Bendy had taken over. "Sammy…" Henry said in a soft voice. "You've lost it…"

"Shhh… quiet! Listen!"

_**THUMP, THUMP, THUMP** _

Putting his hands up and letting a wicked smile cross his face, Sammy vocalized, "I can hear him crawling above! Crawling!" He looked into the brown and blue eyes of his victims. "Let us begin. The ritual must be completed. Soon, he will hear me. He will set us free." He turned on what was left of his heels and walked through a nearby door.

Henry and Betty watched with fear across their features, and when the door slammed shut, the man's eyes darted to his figurative niece. "Betty, please tell me your ropes are loose or something," he said in a frightened voice.

The blonde woman tried to move her arms to get out of her restraints. She did her best but it seems Sammy's strength had let him restrain them quite well. "Nope, no luck," she grunted out.

The high pitched noise of a speaker coming to life rung in their ears. Sammy's voice entered their minds as he spoke. What he said sent chills down both of their spines.

" _Sheep, sheep, sheep, it's time for sleep. Rest your head, it's time for bed. In the morning, you may wake, or in the morning, you'll be dead."_

Henry was frightened beyond anything he had ever felt before and he couldn't help but let out a girly scream of terror. He didn't know what Sammy was doing but whatever it was, it would take a miracle to get them out of it.

Betty, being annoyed by how Henry lost his cool so easily, gave a stern look to her figurative uncle. "Henry, calm down!" she yelled.

The so called prophet's voice came over the speakers once more. A small door began to open, lifting up and revealing a long hallway. " _Hear me, Bendy! Arise from the darkness! Arise and claim my offering! Free me, I beg you! I summon you, Ink Demon! Show your face, and take these tender sheep!"_

At that moment, it finally occurred what Sammy was actually doing with them. He was trying to give them to Bendy himself! His worship for this monster was causing him to try and sacrifice them to the ink monster roaming to halls. Looking to Betty with fear in his eyes and on his face, Henry shouted, "He's trying to sacrifice us to Bendy!"

Betty gasped in realization. That made sense! All the talk about wanting Bendy to notice him and that the "believers must honor their savior" made so much sense now! "Oh, s***!" Betty quickly turned to look at Henry and began to try and struggle out of her ropes again. "Henry, try to break your ropes!"

Henry nodded then went to work, wiggling his arms with the little bit of room he had to try and snap his restraints. He struggled and wriggled as hard as he could but he was getting tired fast and he knew it was only a matter of time before the ink monster would find them. If he couldn't free himself, there was no chance of escape. Bendy would see them and God knows what he would do to former animator huffed as another attempt to break his ropes failed. Sweat beaded on his face and rolled down in small droplets. He knitted his brows. "I'm getting too old for this," he commented.

_**ROOOOAAAARRRR** _

The sound of an inhuman roaring had Henry's mind switching to flight or fight and he gritted his teeth and looked down in panic as he tried once more to snap the ropes. This time he also kicked his legs and the chair began to tip from side to side. He kicked and this time, his seat tipped too far to stay standing. Henry's heart sunk as he began to fall. "Oh, no, going down!" he exclaimed before he hit the floor, the side of his face smacking into the wood. He let out a small cry and white dots danced in his eyes from the impact.

Betty watched and her expression became one of slight anger. "Damn it, Henry!"

Henry's eyes shot open and he realized that moving so much had given him a little more room and as he tried once more to free himself, he could hear the ropes straining to hold together. "Wait, I think I can get free!"

Betty's attention was drawn to another series of loud thumps that came from the ceiling. That ink demon was in the vents and there was no telling when he would find them. Looking at the other she desperately cired, "Well, you'd better hurry, Henry!"

_**CRASH!** _

Henry's eyes went wide at the sound of a loud crash. It sounded like wood breaking and something thumping to the floor. Trying to look at his niece, he asked, "Betty, what was that?!"

" _No! My lord! Stay back!"_

That was Sammy. He was crying out in what sounded like fear, as if something was after him. Henry and Betty looked to the door he had walked through and listened as the terror in his voice grew.

" _I am your prophet! I am your-_ _ **AAAHHH!**_ "

The former animator and advisor's daughter could only listen to the horrible shriek that came from Sammy as he was attacked. They could only guess that Bendy had found Sammy instead of them. Betty struggled in her ropes and leaned towards the door. "Sammy?!"

_**RROOOOAAARRR** _

That roar confirmed their suspicion. Sammy Lawrence was no more.

Henry tried one more time to snap his ropes and sure enough, they finally gave way and fell around him. Brushing himself off, Henry used an arm to push himself up from the floor. He huffed again and stood. He really hated not being able to use his arms.

Betty stopped her wriggling and saw that Henry had freed himself. Good. "Think you can untie me now?"

The man nodded with his blue eyes trained on the door that had opened while Sammy had asked for the monster to accept his offering. He then looked to Betty and walked over, undoing the knot that kept her in place.

Betty shook the ropes off of her with a smile. "There we go, that's better." She stood from her chair and put a hand on her chin. "Now, where do we go?"

Henry looked at the door again, before tapping her should and pointing to it. "We can take that door Sammy opened."

"Hey, yeah! Let's go!"

Henry and Betty then went out the door, leaving behind what remained of Sammy Lawrence… or so they thought...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, is Sammy really dead? Where's Bendy now? And what awaits for Henry and Betty? Please leave a review if you're enjoying this story so far!


	4. Chased to the Wolf

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to the next part of "Drowned in Ink" everybody! Thank you for the kudos and views so far, I'm happy you all enjoy my story! Hope you like this chapter!

The halls were quiet within Joey Drew Studios… except for the sounds of heels and dress shoes clicking on the wooden floorboards. The former animator and advisor's daughter kept side by side as they moved down the hallway, neither of them speaking a word after their near death situation with Sammy. They were both still trying to understand what kind of madness he had plunged into by becoming one with that ink. It was a shame how the ink that Joey used to create life could just as easily take it away.

After a long while of silence, Henry managed to clear his throat and ask, "So, Betty… What happened to Bendy?"

Betty flinched from the sudden sound of Henry's voice, but calmed herself after realizing he was speaking. She tensed a bit from the question. She recalled the details of Bendy's transformation very vividly, and it was one of the most terrifying experiences of her life. However, Henry needed to know. Him knowing was the only way he could help. "Well," she began. "Do you remember how I said Joey talked about 'appeasing the gods?' Well, I guess he and Sammy... wanted to 'appease' Bendy when he was still little. They talked and plotted." Her brows furrowed and her expression read more sorrow. "Then… that day-"

_**CREEEAAAKKK…** _

Henry and Betty could have both sworn that their hearts stopped when they heard a loud creaking, as if some heavy mass was walking over the weakened wooden floorboards. It sounded close, and it was very loud. Betty gulped and asked, "Did you hear that?" with widened eyes.

The former animator and advisor's daughter slowly turned their heads to look forward. In front of them, a lower area with some barrels and wooden poles had been flooded with ink. A door rested at the other end of the small room. The ink, however, put them both on edge. There could be something in there and if they stepped into it, who knows what would happened.

Henry put an arm out in front of Betty with a, "Betty, stay back." If anyone was going to try to see if that door was an exit, he wasn't going to let his figurative niece get hurt. Taking cautious steps towards the ink, Henry listened to his shoes clicking against the wood. He looked down when he reached the edge of the floor. The ink was dark and there was no telling how deep it was. After a moment of staring, the man placed a foot in the liquid. Luckily, it didn't go very far up his legs and he was able to keep walking.

The tension couldn't have been any higher at this point as Henry began wading through the ink towards the door. If this was an exit, then he and Betty could make a run for it. They could leave the studio behind and never look back. They would never have to run from inky monsters or anyone else who had been driven mad again.

Soft splashing from his walking sounded as Betty watched. Henry's heart began to race though he kept an expression of something that looked like determination. He was only a few yards away and he could practically taste freedom at this point. Just a little closer…

Then, it happened.

A geyser of ink suddenly shot up and made Henry jump back in surprise. It lasted for what felt like minutes when it was only a few seconds. Once it was over, there he stood. A tall, dark figure with gloves, a bow tie, and a wicked smile to match his impish tail. He didn't have eyes but if he did, there would be no doubt that the look in them would be anything but delightful. He let out a snarl and finally spoke. "SURPRISE, HENRY!" echoed Bendy's dark tone.

Henry's mind immediately went into fight or flight mode and he very well knew that fighting this thing was not an option. So they had to run. "BETTY, MAKE A RUN FOR IT!" he shouted at the top of his lungs. Henry heard Bendy moving, so he turned on his heels and sprinted towards his niece. "GO, BETTY! RUN!"

Betty's eyes had gone wide in shock, but when Henry told her to run, she watched in horror, before turning and taking off. This was NOT how she wanted to die!

Betty and Henry ran as fast as they could with the ink demon hot on their heels, going back in the direction they had just come from. Both of them could feel their hearts slamming into their ribcages as they tried to pick up their pace with Bendy catching up to them. Henry looked over his shoulder to see the hulking monster on yards away from them. His eyes went wide and he turned his head forward again. "BETTY, DON'T LOOK BACK!" came his startled voice.

This was not how either of them wanted to die. Both of them were beginning to regret coming back to the studio now. If they made one wrong move, that would be it; game over. They would die here and no one would ever knew what happened to them. They would drown in inky madness and either die or end up as monsters like Sammy did. They just had to run and hope that Bendy was too slow to keep up with them.

As they reached the end of the hallway they were running down, the advisor's niece pointed at another hall that went to their right. "Take that corner ahead!" she shouted. As they made their way to the corner, they both turned and slid to the side, before taking off into the other hall. They could hear loud, lumbering steps behind them and a gargled yet wicked laugh emanating from Bendy.

The ink demon turned the corner and watched as the humans made a run for it. He shook his head with a devilish grin still plastered on his features. Did they think they could really escape him that easily? They were dead people walking at this point. He was going to enjoy this, he was going to savor every moment of this.

Henry and Betty panted as the running began to take a toll on their bodies. The older man could feel his legs beginning to burn and his chest heaved as he tried to get enough oxygen into his system. He could hardly keep up with the young woman. But he knew that if he stopped now, he would die at the hands of Bendy.

As they ran, Betty looked up and noticed something she hadn't before: there was a door at the end of the hall. It was closed but if they could keep their current pace, they might be able to open the door and slip inside. "There's a door!" she yelled in fear.

The door suddenly swung open. It was odd, but neither of them cared at this point. Sammy could have opened that door and they would have been okay with it. As long as they got away from this monster, they were okay with whatever happened.

With Bendy closing in on them, they could see the entrance that was now so close. Just a little further...

_**SLAM!** _

The door slammed shut and a piece of wood was put in front of it into two small slots on either side of the entrance. Henry and Betty panted and the woman watched the door as she tried to catch her breath. Henry, on the other hand, was doubled over, hands on his knees and breaths labored. That was far too intense and exhausting for a man of his age. He was surprised that he hadn't fallen or passed out the moment they got through that door.

Bendy stopped when the door slammed shut. He was confused. How did they do that? He slowly walked up to the door and tried to open it. Nothing. Rage instantly began to boil inside him and he growled deeply. He wasn't going to let a stupid piece of wood stop him from reaching his prey. Reeling his arms back, he moved them forward and slammed them into the door again and again. Bendy hit the door as hard as he could but it only bent inward a little bit. He was growing more frustrated when he couldn't bust down the only thing keeping him from Henry. Snarling and putting his hands against the door, he howled out, "HENRY! WHEN I GET IN THERE!"

Betty heard the monster's cry and she gulped and began to tremble. She knew that door wouldn't hold forever and God knows how long before that door collapsed under the demon's strength. Slowly moving her eyes to look at her companion, she asked in a shaky voice, "...Do you think he can get through?"

Henry, though still panting a bit, shook his head. "No," he answered, standing up straight and letting his arms fall to his sides. "I've rammed into that door before, it's like steel."

Betty slowly nodded and dusted off her skirt. "What should we do now?"

Henry's brows furrowed and he looked at her in a serious manner. "The only thing we can do: press on. See if we can find help or a way out." He looked around the room they were in. There were a few barrels, some shelves with Bendy plushies, a few cans of bacon soup, and a doorway to his right. Adjusting his shirt and belt a bit, The former animator gestured for Betty to follow him. "C'mon, let's get going." He began to walk through the entrance and heard the click of heels as Betty followed him.

They hadn't walked very far into the next room when a sudden noise caught both their ears. Henry stopped a put an arm out in front of Betty, telling her to stop too. They both looked and watched as a can of bacon soup rolled out from behind a nearby wall. It came to a stop against a small shelf.

The former animator and advisor's daughter slowly turned their heads to look at each other. There was someone else in the room and there was no telling how much trouble they could be in. Henry looked at the wall where the soup had come from and cleared his throat. "Hello," he asked cautiously. "Someone there? We know you're in here. Come out and show yourself."

Silence hung in the air, before footsteps echoed in the small space. Out stepped a tall cartoon character. He looked very much like a wolf, with large round eyes, freckles on his snout and a large grin with small fangs. He wore a pair of white overalls with gray patched on the knees and a pair of black boots. His tail swished back and forth as he looked at the humans.

At the moment the wolf stepped out, Henry and Betty's eyes went wide and their jaws dropped. There was no way-That couldn't be-He was supposed to be-Henry and Betty didn't speak for several long moments. Then, the man found his voice. "Boris?"

The wolf smiled at them for a few more moments, then held up a hand and waved. "Hey, Dad."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, Boris has appeared! And he's alive and well! Hope you enjoyed! Writing that chase scene was lots of fun!


	5. Run to the Angel

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! Welcome to the next chapter! Sorry this took so long, I've been busy with my art and comics, and looking for a job. I hope you enjoy this chapter! Feel free to leave a comment or kudos if you like it! Enjoy!

"How are you alive?!" came Betty's voice after a long moment of silence. She and Henry had remained quiet after Boris greeted his creator. They couldn't believe it. They both had seen Boris' dead body upstairs, but here he was, alive and well. The evidence of his death was still present with a large stitch that ran down the visible part of his chest, but that still didn't explain how he was alive.

Boris shrugged his shoulders, his smile falling. "Beats me, I just barely woke up." He didn't know what she meant by asking how he was still alive, but decided to roll with it. The last thing he remembered before he went to sleep was Joey taking a scalpel to his chest and causing him great pain before he passed out. When he had awoken, Boris saw a hooded figure walking down the hall outside the room where he had passed out. The wolf had still been strapped to the table, so he wiggled his way out and decided to see if he could find anyone.

The studio was much more decrepit than he remembered and he couldn't find anyone familiar. However, he figured they must have been deeper within the studio and took the elevators and stairs to where he was now.

Henry furrowed his brows and asked, "What do you mean you, 'woke up?'"

Boris tapped a finger on his chin. "Well… I was just sleeping when my eyes opened. I thought I saw someone, but they left before I could say anything. I noticed I was strapped to a table, so I just wiggled my way out." He looked at the two humans. How come they were the only ones had had seen throughout his whole time looking for everyone here? "So… how long was I asleep? And, where is everyone?"

Boris and Betty's expressions changed to slight sadness. Boris didn't even realize he had been dead for a few years. He just thought he was asleep. How were they going to tell him. Henry returned his gaze to the cartoon wolf and he cleared his throat and adjusted his bowtie. Might as well not sugarcoat it. "Boris...you've been… dead for over five years."

The word "dead" immediately sent Boris' mind into a frenzy. No… No, his dad must have been lying. There was no way he could have been dead! He couldn't have! As much as he wanted to deny it, Boris knew it was the truth. That would explain the stitches on his chest. He clearly remembered Joey cutting him open. He must have killed him. With wide eyes and fear and shock on his face, Boris stuttered out, "I've been… dead?"

Betty gave a solemn nod. "Yep. Joey strapped you down and gutted you five years ago."

Boris began to tremble. He couldn't believe it. One of his creators-one of the people he considered a father-really did kill him that long time ago. But for what sadistic reason he did not know. Taking a step back and looking the humans, he managed to get out, "Oh, my God… he… oh, my God." Why did Joey do this? What did he want to gut him and kill him for? Surely he couldn't have gotten away with it without someone like Bendy finding ou-

Bendy.

Boris still hadn't seen Bendy at all in his journey through the studio.

"Wait, where's Bendy?!" he cried.

CRASH!

Everyone in the tiny room jumped when a loud smashing wood sound rang into their ears. That couldn't have been good.

"HENRY!"

The former animator's eyes went wide at the garbled and deep tone that called his name. He knew who that voice was and he knew it wasn't good. Bendy had just busted down the door that had been keeping him from them and he wanted blood. Seeing an open door behind Boris, Henry looked at Betty and yelled, "Betty, we gotta run!" He then took off towards the door with his niece following.

Boris watched them run in confusion and slight shock from being told why he was "asleep" for so long. Wait, what was that noise? Why were they running from it? "Dad, what's wrong," he questioned. "Why ya runnin'?"

"HENRY!"

A voice filled the space around him and Boris turned his head to the entrance the humans had come through. He gasped when he saw the tall, inky monster ducking through the entrance and staring at him. Even if the beast was taller and more of a walking glob, he recognized those gloves, those horns, and that huge mouth that was once curved into a grin. Boris shouted, "...BENDY?!"

Betty looked back and saw that the wolf was still in the room and Bendy was only yards away from him. If he didn't move, he was going to get killed! Why was he staring at Bendy?! The advisor's daughter quickly turned on her heels and sprinted back to Boris, grabbing one of his wrists. "Boris, c'mon!" She pulled and the wolf followed behind her, his face turning to fear and worry.

Boris shook his head and fought the tears that threatened to form in his eyes. He didn't want to believe that that monster was Bendy, his dear friend, the little Devil Darling, but deep in his mind, he knew that it was true. This made his heart feel heavy and overstressed as he came to accept that his best friend was now a monster. Now all Boris could do was follow his creator and the woman with him.

The three took off as Bendy stepped farther into the room. They didn't know how far they would have to run, but they knew that they couldn't stop or else it would be the end of all of them.  
*****  
A door creaked open as the former animator stepped inside, his steps shaky as he panted deeply. He was doubled over as he tried to keep himself from falling to the floor. They had been running for some time and he had nearly tripped and fallen several times. Henry just wasn't able to run like he used to with his age and it had taken its toll on him. He tried to steady his breathing as he put his hands on his knees.

Betty and Boris stepped into the doorway and stood there, watching the older man as he struggled to get oxygen into his system. The advisor's daughter put a hand close to her mouth. She forgot how old Henry must be now and all this running must not be good for him. "Uncle Henry," she asked softly. "Are you okay?"

Hearing the voice of his figurative niece, the former animator turned on his heels, wiping sweat from his forehead. "No… I'm… I'm not a young man anymore." He huffed again before standing up straight. "I'm just getting too old for all this running around."

He was stopped and his eyes went wide when the sounds of quick clicking came from behind him. It sounded like someone running in heels. Henry swiftly turned his head to look over his shoulder and his mouth went slightly agape. Running towards him was a cartoon with long black hair, a black dress with detached sleeves and a bow, and black heels. Her most noticeable features were her tail, her horns, and a small halo. Her facial features were twisted into anger and her fists were clenched as she ran straight towards Henry. He fully turned to face her and shouted, "Alice?!"

Alice didn't waste any time in her run. She was beyond angry as the man who had taken her friend, the little Devil Darling, from her. She had been searching for him for hours now, and here he was, completely oblivious to what she was about to do. He would pay dearly for taking Bendy and Boris away from her.

The angel suddenly leaped into the air, letting out a horrible screech, and tackling the man. This sent them both to the ground with a thud. Boris and Betty watched with passive faces. Welp, there goes their friend. Boris blinked, before saying in a completely blank tone, "I can't believe my dad is $#!ing dead."

Alice sat up and grabbed handfuls of Henry's shirt, and he looked up at her in terror. What in the world did he do to make her so angry?! Letting out a snarl, the angel began to yell at him. "You did this, Drew! You did all this!" She tightened her grip on his clothes. "You turned Bendy into a monster!" Alice raised a hand and balled it into a fist. "Now… now, I'm gonna make you pay!"

Betty realized what Alice was about to do and quickly shouted, "Alice, stop! That's not Joey, that's Henry!"

Alice looked up at the source of the voice, seeing her old friends Betty and Boris. She didn't even take note of the fact that Boris was somehow alive in her rage. She growled at Betty and answered with, "Betty, I know Joey when I see him. And this is Joey!"

The woman shook her head and raised a hand. "Alice, take a closer look at him. Joey has black hair and green eyes."

This caused the cartoon to raise a brow. Wait, what? Alice could only see in black and white, a defect from when she was created and brought into this world. It was hard to tell what colors people were but she was able to distinguish them by the shades of black, white, and gray she could see. Looking down at the man under her, she squinted. That was when she realized his hair was gray in her eyes, and his eyes were much lighter than Joey's. Her eyes went wide and she let go of his shirt. "Oh my God… Henry?"

The man nodded and spoke. "Uh, yeah… Alice, would you mind… getting off me?"

"Oh! Sorry! Sorry!" Alice quickly stood and backed away a few steps.

Henry sat up and let out a soft sigh. Alice was actually kind of heavy and he had a hard time breathing with her sitting on him. He tried to refill his aching lungs as he sat there, ink from her hands that had gotten on his shirt now disappearing. It was strange how the ink would vanish from clothes, but the former animator guessed it was some kind of magic.

Alice frowned and watched the man take deep breaths. She felt horrible for just tackling him without even seeing who it really was she had been planning to attack. She blamed her vision for that. "Henry, I'm so sorry," she apologized. "I can only see in black and white. And you and Joey look… scarily similar."

Henry held up a hand and looked at her with sincerity. "It's alright, Alice. Just, please, don't do that again."

Alice nodded and smiled. "Right, got it, won't happen again."

The former animator finally managed to get to his feet and fixed his hair, flattening down the locks that had stuck out from all his running and movement.

As his creator stood, Boris took a look at everyone. "Well, looks like the gang's all here… except for Bendy."

Betty nodded in response. "What should we do now, Uncle Henry?"

Henry turned as Alice walked to she stood beside him. He put his hands on his hips and looked at the floor in thought. He didn't really think they were going to get away alive from their last encounter with Bendy, so he wasn't so sure what they should do at this point. There were a few ideas bouncing around in his head, so he might as well tell the others.

"Well…" Henry began. "I guess we can either escape… or stop Bendy. And as much as I want to escape… I have the feeling we can save Bendy somehow."

Alice looked up at the human with a raised brow. "What do you mean?"

"Well, Betty told me about how Bendy used to be such a happy little guy. I bet if we find whatever, or whoever, made him into a monster, we can stop it and turn Bendy to his old self again."

Boris tapped his chin in thought, before letting a smile form and speaking. "Hmm… I think Dad might be right!"

Henry grinned and his blue eyes seemed to light up. Considering all he had been through in the past few hours, he was glad to have some reassurance that his plan could work. However, before he could put it into action, he needed to know what happened to Bendy to make him into a monster. Moving his gaze to Betty, he held up a hand. "Betty, you know what happened to Bendy, right?"

The advisor's daughter's face fell and she furrowed her brows. She felt a chill crawl up her spine. She remembered everything about what made Bendy into a monster. She could envision Joey's face and hear the unnatural tone in his voice quite well, something she hoped she would never have to remember again. Betty gave Henry a nod and responded with, "Yeah. I remember it… vividly."

The look on Betty's face told the older man that whatever had happened had traumatized her greatly. He really didn't want to make her remember something that had scared her so bad, but he needed to know what happened to the Little Devil Darlin'. "Can you tell us what happened?"

She didn't want to remember, but she had been about to tell Henry anyway when they were chased by the inky demon. She might as well recall what she could about that day. "...Sure."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, what happened that made Bendy into an inky monster? Find out in the next chapter! Hope you enjoyed this one!


	6. Appease the Ink Devil

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone! Welcome to the next chapter of "Drowned in Ink!" Sorry this took a while, didn't have a lot of motivation to write for a while. Life has been keeping me busy! Anyway, this one is some dialogue, some small action. Hope you enjoy!

The small room underground, on the very last level of Joey Drew Studios, was dark and damp, the air chilling to the bone. The room held little light and everyone was straining to see. A sheet lay on the wooden floor and everyone stood in a circle around it. It was quiet enough to hear a pin drop and hit the floor. That was, until footsteps came from a nearby door and broke the silence. The door creaked as the knob turned and into the room stepped Joey Drew. His black and gray hair was slicked back and his green eyes held a sinister look in them. Betty shuddered at noticing this, but didn't let it get to her. Like everyone else, she was confused as to why Joey had suddenly told everyone to stop what they're doing called them all to the lowest room of the studio. It wasn't unusual for Joey to call meetings. What was out of the ordinary was where the meeting was being held.

Joey took a few more steps into the room, before stopping and clasping his hands together behind his back. His smile gave everyone chills and they all shifted a bit in their spots. This was strange, out of the ordinary for the Joey Drew they knew. However, the man had changed a bit over the past ten years, his demeanor towards his employees and other cartoons shifting. He had become much more aggressive, yelling at those who were not Bendy and constantly muttering to himself about, "the Gods" and, "appeasing them." He had become a different man, and everyone was wary of him.

Joey turned his head as he took note of everyone in the room, before clearing his throat and speaking in a dark, silky tone. "Glad you could all make it to this meeting."

There was barely a moment of silence before Wally Franks spoke up, his brows furrowed and holding out his hands. "Joey, what's all this about? Why's it so dark in here?"

A deep chuckle vibrated from the lead animator's chest. He held up a hand and looked down at it. "Well, I'm glad you asked, Wally." He let his hand fall to his side before regarding his employees again. "You see, before Bendy came into my life, I lived a purposeless existence." He gave all of the people in the room pointed looks. "However, I have now found my life's purpose. And that purpose is to serve the Gods, starting with the God among us."

Mutters of confusion and concern made their way through the crowd of people. The first to speak was Susie Campbell, her voice shaking a bit. "Mr. Drew, what are you talking about?"

Joey's half lidded eyes seemed to light up with excitement. He held out his arms, the pentagram necklace around his neck shaking from the movement. "Don't you see, you fools?! Bendy is a God!" The volume of his voice grew as he continued to speak. "He is a God sent to us from above! We must appease him!"

Everyone was to afraid to say anything to the man, but they all knew what they were thinking. Joey sounded absolutely mad! What was with all this talk about Gods and appeasing them? This wasn't right, this wasn't the Joey Drew they knew. The animator was usually so kind and energetic and he was an idealist. He knew what was realistic and what was not, and what he was saying right now sounded like he had been brainwashed by a cult.

Finally, Alice looked up at the man with anger on her face. Holding up a hand, she shouted to him, "Joey Drew, do you hear how crazy you sound?!"

Those words had the smile dropping from the animator's face and the temperature of the room seemed to drop. A deep scowl replaced the giddy grin Joey had had, and he glared at Alice with deep contempt.

Was he crazy? No, that couldn't be! Alice was the crazy one! Not him! Not Sammy! All of those who opposed him and his worship to Bendy were the crazy ones, NOT HIM! With one eye twitching, Joey spoke with a small growl. "Crazy… you want to see crazy?" He closed his eyes and clenched his fists, yelling as loud as he could at the cartoony angel. "I'LL SHOW YOU CRAZY!" He turned his head to look at Sammy, who stood by with a wicked grin and a small set of candles. "SAMMY! THE CANDLES!"

The music director nodded and stepped from the shadows that had hidden him. Norman Polk frowned and knitted his brows at Sammy, before turning his gaze to Joey. "What the-Mr. Drew, what the hell is going on?!"

As Sammy placed to candles in a small area around the sheet on the floor, Joey said in a threatening voice, "Either we appease Bendy or the Gods abandon us!" It was after this was spoken that Joey lifted the sheet in a… rather dramatic fashion, revealing a pentagram drawn into the floor with ink, now surrounded by the candles.

Betty looked down and saw this, a small gasp escaping her lips. She couldn't believe this. Joey was just as crazy as Sammy and had gone mad over the need to worship Bendy as if he was some kind of deity. Sammy had likely done this to her figurative uncle and she would get back at him for it if that was the case. Shaking like a leaf, she returned her gaze to Sammy and Joey. "Joey… Sammy… what the hell," she questioned in a soft voice.

The director of the music department then pulled out a match and began to light the candles. The flames reflected their light in the surface of Joey's bright green eyes, Everyone jumped at the sight and he laughed once more. "Now," came his deep and dangerous tone of voice. "It begins."

A sudden series of thumping noises had everyone looking around. Joey turned on his heels and opened a coffin that was leaning against the wall, pulling out a small burlap sack and setting it on the floor. It was tied closed with a red rope and something was alive inside of it. Whatever was inside the bag kicked and screamed from within it, attempting to escape. Joey grunted as he picked up the bag, pulled the rope off, and dumped its contents into the middle of the circle. Out fell a little cartoony devil, landing on his rear end. He looked around in worry and confusion, having no idea where he was.

Alice gasped. "Bendy!"

Bendy moved onto his hands and knees, and sat up. He remembered being in Joey's office when something struck him on the head and caused him to fall unconscious. He then remembered waking up surrounded by something and he couldn't escape. Where was he now? What was going on? "Guys," his fearful voice came. "What's going on?!"

That was when Joey closed his eyes and held out his hands. No one but Joey knew what he said next, but whatever he said, it was in another language, one long out of use by the common people. There was an underlying dark tone to his chant and it sent chills down everyone's spines, some in fear, but for Sammy, in excitement.

A sudden groan of pain caught all ears and everyone looked down at the little devil darlin'. He had hunched over and wrapped his arms around his stomach. His whole body trembled badly, the groans gradually becoming small cries of agony. Bendy managed to open his eyes, pleading with them for someone to make the pain stop. He hung his head again and only cried out louder.

Everyone began to shout at the head animator but he only gave them a brief grin before returning to what he was doing.

Bendy's loud and sudden gasp made the room go quiet, before he screamed at the top of his lungs. Then, it happened. Bendy's left arm suddenly began to spurt ink and grow at a rapid rate and ink splattered across the wall. Everyone screamed in surprise and fright at the transformation beginning to take place and their words all clashed and echoed in the small room. Bendy's other arm began to do the same as the first and the dark substance dripped down the walls and chairs in its way. Ink began to drip down Bendy's face, covering his eyes and blinding him as he wailed. His whole body seemed to be melting somehow and his form began to twist and morph.

Betty's mind was screaming at her with her fight-or-flight response kicking in. She wanted to stop Joey so badly, but she was so frightened that she could only think to do one thing. "Everyone, RUN!" came her shout as she turned on her heels and towards the exit. She could hear footsteps and shouts from behind her and knew that everyone was desperately following. None of them knew what was happening to their little friend, no did any of them want to know. All they knew is that Joey had truly lost it and was resorting to dark magic to "appease" Bendy. It was that day that the studio had become a place out of nightmares, with monsters and ink taking over, making no room safe. And it was that day that Betty Landons ran and stayed away for five years, until her return only days ago.

*****

"We made it out those five years ago," Betty stated, looking to her figurative uncle. "Bendy has been a monster ever since."

Henry gaped in shock as Betty finished her recollection of what happened those years ago. He was aghast, his mouth hanging open a bit and his blue eyes wide. Never would he have ever guessed that it was Joey who did this, who did all this. He had known Joey so well, and for his best friend to have gone mad about something like this and turn Bendy into a monster… it was unthinkable for him. Henry didn't know why Joey did this, but whatever reason there was, he knew what he had to do now.

The former animator cleared his throat and finally spoke to his niece. "Betty, I had no idea how… terrifying that must have been." A thought struck him and his expression changed. "But… I think I know what we have to get rid of to save Bendy."

Betty sniffled and wiped away to droplets in the corners of her eyes. She was a little surprised to hear that, but knew how smart the man was. "What, Uncle Henry?"

"The Pentagram."

Everyone thought about it after the words were spoken. Joey did make the pentagram so he could use the dark magic that turned Bendy into a monster. The pentagram must have been the source. Getting rid of it… could mean that Bendy could be turned back to normal!

Henry furrowed his brows as he continued. "If Joey used that pentagram to turn Bendy into a monster, erasing it should turn him back to normal!"

Alice had listened closely to Henry's words and thought about what he said. Whatever dark magic had been summoned to turn the devil darlin' into a monster must have come from the symbol drawn in ink. Otherwise, how could the leader of the studio have turned his creation into a beast? But erasing the pentagram… it wasn't going to be as simple as Henry made it seem. "That sounds easy…" Alice responded. "Too easy."

Boris tilted his head to one side and one ear twitched. "What do ya mean, Alice?"

"Doesn't it sound too easy to just waltz in there and try to erase the pentagram?"

Henry nodded and put his hands on his hips. "Alice is right. There's Bendy chasing us, possibly other ink monsters, and Sammy might not be the only crazy one."

Betty put a hand on her chin for only a second. She knew how dangerous this studio was now with the cartoony demon and possibly any other ink monsters. Betty looked to Henry. "True… how are we gonna erase the pentagram? Joey probably drew it with ink."

"With…" The former animator reached into his pocket before pulling out a small gray bottle with a white label. It read, "Acetone." "This. I've used this stuff to remove ink plenty of times. If we can get to the pentagram, I can use this to try and get rid of it."

Alice looked up at her creator. Henry was much more prepared than she expected, but she knew how smart he was. Henry was beyond intelligent, perhaps even smarter than Joey. Her frown curved up into a smile. "Sounds like a plan, Henry!"

Boris suddenly held his hands up after having been quiet for a while. "Well, before we do any of that, I think we should rest."

Henry, Betty, and Alice looked at him with slight confusion. Where was there to rest that would be safe from the ink beast and any other monsters in this damned studio? Henry looked the wolf in his big black eyes. "Wait, rest?"

The cartoon nodded and smiled with sharp teeth showing. "Yeah! I know a place we can all go rest for a while."

Henry shook his head and his features became more fearful and saddened. "But-but-we need to save Bendy!"

Boris sighed softly. He  _knew_ that his "father" wanted to save their friend so badly, but he could tell from his slight shaking and bags under his eyes that he hadn't rested for some time. Who knows how long Henry had been running around before he had found the wolf. "Dad," he started. "You've probably been running around for a while. You look like you need to rest."

Henry looked up with his big blue eyes filled with slight sadness. He knew Boris was right. He had been running around the studio for hours now. He had barely had a moment of rest ever since he turned on the Ink Machine. He was in desperate need of sleep and food at this point. Sighing, he looked down and nodded. "Okay, rest would probably be best by now."

Boris smiled, his tail wagging. "Alright, let's go to my safe house!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, looks like we know what happened to the little Devil Darlin'! But is Henry's plan to erase the pentagram full proof? What could they encounter on their journey to save Bendy? Find out soon! Thank you for reading, and comments and kudos are much appreciated!


	7. Rest Well and Prepare Your Mind

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone! Welcome back! Sorry for not updating for a while, motivation to write has been a little flat. Anyway, I have the next chapter and I hope you enjoy it! This is where chapter 3 starts to come into play in my AU!

A door creaked open after Boris had unlocked it and pushed it open. He stepped into the room and held an arm out, as if showing off the area to his friends. He smiled and spoke in a happy voice. “Come on in, make yourselves at home!”

Henry, Betty, and Alice followed the wolf’s lead and made their way into this new place, silently gaping at the room. It was small compared to most of the studio’s other rooms, but it had a cozy feeling to it. In a small alcove was a table with candles and playing cards. Nearby was a stove with a pot, a couple of barrels, and a shelf with various items. A small hallway lead to another part of Boris’ small home.

Henry looked around with his blue eyes wide, hearing the cartoon comment, “Just be careful not to break anything, please.” When did he set up this place? The wooden walls looked a little weathered, but the place was in good shape otherwise.

Betty’s heels clicked until she stopped in front of a small wall. “Boris, when did you set this place up,” she questioned.

Boris responded with, “I’ve had it for several years. I used to come here when I was tired of the way Joey treated me.”

Alice, who had walked to the table and picked up one of the playing cards, turned to look at the wolf. “Boris, this place is the bee’s knees!”

A chuckle and a small wave of his left hand. “Why, thank ya!” He closed the door behind him and the cartoon gestured to the table and the stove. “So, would you guys like something to eat? Would you like to play a card game?”

It was only at that moment Henry realized how tired he really was. With little sleep in the past hours, no food, and strikes of heart trending fear, he was worn out to the bone. His vision was starting to wobble a bit and his knees were growing weak. The former animator turned to his creation and asked, “Actually… do you have a place where I can rest?”

Boris suddenly noticed the slightly labored breaths and shaking from his creator. He completely forgot! He had suggested they rest in the first place and was so caught up in his pride that he forgot. “Oh!” he exclaimed. “Of course, Dad! Do you need me to carry you to my bed?”

It was a little strange that Boris offered to carry him, but Henry appreciated it nonetheless. “I mean… that would be nice, but you don’t have to.” Honestly, his body screamed at him to let the wolf carry him, considering it had had little time to rest.

“Nonsense, I insist!”

“Boris, that’s sweet of you, but--” Henry was cut off as one arm went to the back of his knees and the other went behind his neck. He was lifted up as if he was made of feathers, being held bridal style. He blinked before moving his blue eyes to the wolf holding him.

Boris smiled widely and spoke to him. “C’mon, I’ll take you to my bed.” The wolf began to walk away, towards the small hallway that lead to another room and a restroom. As he walked away with Henry in his arms, Betty waved and voiced, “Good night, Uncle Henry!”

Alice did the same as Betty. “Sleep well, Henry!”

*****

Another door at the end of the hallway and in stepped Boris with his creator in his arms. “Here we are,” he remarked.

Henry looked to the side and saw what Boris called his bed was actually an old hammock above a large chest. Some toys and books and reels lay on a few shelves and a fold up bed was against one of the walls. The man spoke up with a slightly shaky voice from his weakness. “You sleep in a hammock?”

“Yep!” answered Boris. “It’s not always comfortable, but it works.” With the gentleness of a mother with her child, the wolf laid his creator in the cloth, making sure it was secure and could hold up the weight. Once Henry was in, he took some steps back to the door, putting a hand on it. “Well, rest up, Dad. I’ll make sure you aren’t disturbed.”

The human smiled and nodded, grateful for his “son” being so nice. “Okay. Thank you, Boris.”

“Good night, Dad.” A creak and a click, and the door was closed.

Henry laid his head back in the hammock and thought for a moment. He didn’t know why Joey did this, or what else awaited him in this studio. At this point, he was just praying that his former coworkers were okay and that this horrible ordeal would be over soon. He wanted to get his old friend and new friends out of here safely and see his wife again. A small frown snaked its way onto his features. What if they didn’t make it out alive? No one would ever know what happened to him and his friends, and that thought… it terrified him.

Henry shook his head. Everything will be fine, he just knew it. Closing his eyes and laying his arms across his chest, he slowed his breaths until he was fast asleep, his bad thoughts leaving and making way for sweet dreams.

*****

Small snoring filled the room alongside the clicking coming from a Bendy clock on the wall. A small trail of saliva ran down from the corner of Henry’s lip as he rested, his features passive and his posture much more relaxed. The former animator had been asleep for more than a day, his aching body lulling him into a long sleep.

His fingers twitched and his eyes fluttered open. At first, the man was confused, not remembering where he was. However, he realized and calmed himself. Raising his arms above his head, he let his jaw open in a large yawn. The rest was good and had done a lot for his previously exhausted body. Henry turned and threw his legs over the side of the hammock, before dropping to the floor, feet landing with a small thump. “Hmm… what a good nap,” he spoke to no one but himself. “I wonder how everyone’s doing.”

Taking steps to the door, he opened it and made his way down the hallway. Once he was at the doorway, he put a hand on the frame and looked around.

“Hey, Uncle Henry.”

His blue eyes darted in the direction of the voice and he could see Betty and Boris holding cards, sitting at opposite sides of the small table. Alice sat between them, facing towards the hallway. She lightly kicked her legs and had her hands in her lap.

Betty smiled warmly as her figurative uncle took some steps into the room. “Did you sleep well?”

A nod was given, Henry’s bright blue eyes seeming to light up. “Yeah! How long was I asleep for?”

“I kept track,” Alice commented. “You were asleep for 36 hours.”

Henry’s smile fell. “Jeez, I didn’t realize how tired I was.” He had been asleep that long? Than again, how long had he been in the studio? It felt like weeks, though it was probably a few days now. Linda must be worried sick for him. He would have to explain all this once he got home, then he could enjoy some clean clothes, a nice bath, maybe a good meal with his wife. Speaking of meals…

A growl made Henry put a hand on his stomach. He hadn’t eaten for some time and he felt like his stomach was eating away at itself at this point. “Oh… hey, Boris? Got anything to eat,” he asked in a cautious voice. He didn’t think the cartoon needed to eat, so he didn’t want to assume Boris had food and just devour it with haste like his body was demanding. “I hate to ask, but… I’m really hungry.”

Boris grinned, his sharp teeth showing through the smile. He stood from his chair and responded with, “It’s no trouble! I have some bacon soup on the stove!”

*****

Henry set his spoon back in the bowl in his hand, smiling and licking his lips. They only had to wait a short while for the soup, and in that time, Henry and Betty had spilled out all their worries to the cartoons. They had listened intently and were able to give comforting words and reassurance that the humans would make it out of this alive. And no matter what, they just had to keep up their hopes.

As Henry put his bowl down, he looked to the wolf. Henry and the others all sat in a small circle, cross-legged on the wooden floor. “Thanks for the soup, Boris. I feel a lot better.”

“No problem! I don’t get to cook for others often.”

Betty chuckled and looked to her cartoony wolf friend. “Well, you make a mean pot of bacon soup, Boris!”

The angel nodded and spoke, “Yeah. Thanks!” She put her bowl at her side and her expression became more pensive. “Alright, now that we’ve all eaten… what’s the plan?”

Henry had been thinking in the time they had been eating and thought about what he remembered from the studio’s layout. He remembered many floors, enough to the point and elevator was needed to get to the lower ones. And he remembered Betty’s recollection of Bendy’s transformation. Henry had an idea, but God knows if it would work or get them killed.

Shifting in his spot, the former animator cleared his throat. “Well… I’ve noticed that there were more pentagrams where Betty and I were walking.”

The advisor’s daughter nodded. “The main pentagram is on the bottom floor, in the emergency safe room.”

Henry looked down with some thought, then spoke again. “Okay. So I remember an old elevator that can get pretty far down. I think we should keep going down ‘til we find it. Then, we use the elevator to get as far down as we can. Then, take the stairs for the rest of the way. Once we get there, we find the pentagram and erase it. Simple plan to say, but it’ll be harder to execute.”

Betty, Boris, and Alice all looked at each other with the gears turning in their heads. Yes, it sounded simple, but with all the monsters and ink in the studio, it would be harder to get in there and get out. Plus, who knows if there was anyone else like Sammy in this place; people who would try to kill them or sacrifice them to Bendy.

However, erasing that pentagram was their one chance to fix all this; to turn Bendy back to normal and try to save everyone who stepped into the studio.

Betty’s passive features turned to more cheerful ones. “Sounds good to me!”

Henry angled his head downwards in a nod. “Alright, we should head out as soon as possible.”

Alice tilted her head. “We can head out now. We’ve all eaten and rested.”

“Okay, let’s get going.” The humans and cartoons stood in their places, before Henry pointed a thumb to himself. “Okay, let’s go. I’ll lead the way.”

Henry began to walk to the door, Betty, Boris, and Alice shortly followed in a line. The former animator pushed the door open and stepped out of the safety of the small living quarters. While the humans and the wolf walked on the ground, small clouds would form in front of Alice and she stepped upon them. The door shut behind the angel, and so the small crew left their only safe haven and walked into the unknown.

As they walked, the began to notice how much more intricate the studio was down here. There were many more pipes, boxes and small closets labeled as, “Little Miracle Station.” Henry frowned. He didn’t remember a lot of the things he was seeing. Joey must have greatly expanded the studio after he left… probably much to Grant’s dismay. Animation wasn’t cheap, that much he knew. Henry knew it must have taken a lot to replace him and make Bendy as famous as he was. A small pang was felt in his chest at the thought of Joey replacing him. After the huge fight they had had, Joey threw him out like some kind of garbage and Henry never looked back. He never thought he would come back here, but here he was.

“So, Henry…”

The former animator was snapped out of his thoughts by a heavenly voice. He turned to look over his shoulder, seeing Alice looking to him. “What have you been up to since you left the studio?”

A smile was given. “Well,” he started. “Me and my girlfriend, Linda, got married. We’re pretty happy together and we’re planning to adopt some children soon. As for a job, I’ve been helping illustrate children’s books and it’s been fun. I’ve been really happy since I left the studio, and have been well off.”

Alice smiled and clasped her hand together. Before she was brought to life, she could view the real world through drawings and posters of herself and had witnessed Joey and Henry’s argument. It had turned sour quickly and she wanted so badly to say something to the former animator before he left. However, hearing that he was doing well warmed her heart. “That’s good!” He smile fell to a frown. “I’m kinda sad we didn’t get to meet before you left.”

Henry’s grin fell just as the angel’s had and he held up a hand. It was nice to have met Alice, his creation and one of his many pride and joys, but at what cost? “Well, at least we finally met. “I just wish it could have been under better circumstances.”

“Well, once we get Bendy back, we can all sit and talk,” Boris said, lightning up the mood.

“Hehe, yeah--”

“ ** _HENRY!”_ **

Henry’s blood ran cold and his heart seemed to leap into his throat. He stopped in his tracks, beginning to tremble in fear. He knew that garbled, echoing voice anywhere and it shook him to his very core. He gulped and managed to get out two words. “Oh, s***.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uh oh! Sounds like a familiar inky demon is after Henry again! What is the crew going to do about it? Can they escape Bendy's wrath? Find out in the next chapter! Feel free to comment if you're enjoying this story!


	8. Sent From...Below?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone. Welcome back! I got cranking on my comic and so I have the next chapter ready! This one's a little longer, so I hope you enjoy!

Henry turned on his heels to look to his human and cartoon friends, feeling a sense of dread like nothing else washing over him. The others were trembling and had looks of shock on their faces. They all knew that voice too well and it sent terror down all of their spines. The former animator gulped and looked past his friends, looking down the hall as he heard footsteps coming closer. 

Boris could hear the footsteps as well and he was horrified at this point. He had no idea why Bendy was so mad at his creator, but he knew very well that if he got his hands on Henry, it wouldn’t be pretty. “Dad, is that Bendy?!”

Henry gave a fearful nod. “Yes, and I think he’s coming this way!” What were they supposed to do?! Bendy was three times bigger than all of them and was likely faster and stronger than any of them. There was no fighting this beast, so Henry’s flight instinct told him to just run down the hall with his friends in tow. 

“Henry.”

A calm, heavenly voice broke through his thoughts and his eyes moved down to the small cartoony angel. She had stepped forward and now looked to the man with determination in her eyes. “There’s a Little Miracle Station up ahead,” she said in a serious tone. “Hide in there with Betty. Boris, you hide under the table up ahead.”

Betty turned and looked down at her cartoon friend. “What about you, Alice?”

She didn’t want to tell the others her plan, only to protect them and make sure that they didn’t get caught by the inky demon. She didn’t even know if her plan would work and it made Alice slightly nervous. But she wouldn’t know unless she tried. Even if her plan backfired, it could buy time for the others. “... I’m gonna show Bendy who’s boss.”

Henry gasped and held out his hands. “Alice, no! If Bendy sees you, he’ll kill you!” He had only known the angel for a short time, but he didn’t want her to pay for his mistakes and face the demon alone. He didn’t want to lose another friend so easily.

Alice sighed and closed her eyes. She knew Henry didn’t want her to do this, but it was their one chance right now to escape. “Don’t worry, Henry, I have a plan.” She turned on her heels and faced down the hall, where the footsteps were coming from. “Go, I’ll take care of Bendy.”

Henry pursed his lips together in concern. It fell from his face with a small exhalation. Alice must know what she’s doing, and if she had a plan, he had to trust her word. Looking to Betty and Boris, he spoke. “C’mon, guys, we’ve gotta hide.

Loud and wet footsteps echoed down the hallway as Bendy turned the corner into another corridor of the studio’s many halls. His teeth were clenched tightly and his hands were curled into fists. He let a few animalistic snarls escape his lips as he continued, his posture full of anger. He had heard his blasted creator somewhere down these halls and he nearly had him in his grasp. Henry had been just smart enough to escape their last two encounters, but oh, this time, there would be no escape. He  **_would_ ** get this man if it was the last thing he did. He would get his vengeance and he would tear Henry apart.

Growling and baring his claws, Bendy shouted, “HENRY! I KNOW YOU’RE UP THERE! COME OUT, NOW!”

When he got no response, the demon’s snarls grew louder. He looked to the side for only a moment, before a voice broke through and got his attention. 

“HEY!”

The monster looked forward as he heard small clicking coming from around another corner. He watched as a small figure walked to the middle of the hall and stood there, fists clenched and brows furrowed. She had long hair, horns, a tail, a black dress with a bow, black heels, and a halo. 

Bendy’s deep scowl turned into a confused frown. Through his clouded vision, he could see the cartoony angel, but his mind hadn’t yet registered who it was. He thought. She looked like… “A--Ali--Alice?” He wanted to believe that his old friend stood before him, the lovely angel who had been like a sister to him. He thought she was long gone. He had thought she had been devoured by the studio’s other beasts long ago. Bendy smiled softly. “Al..Alice.”

That was when the image of his beloved friend disappeared and was replaced by the mental picture of a wicked woman, deformed and only wanting to make herself beautiful. A fallen angel who didn’t deserve to be called heavenly in any way. Her cackle echoed in his mind and his grin turned into a frown. “No,” he uttered. “You’re not… my angel.”

Alice kept her fists to her sides as the demon spoke to her, though she wasn’t quite sure what he meant. She didn’t know what he was talking about but she didn’t let it get to her. She stood her ground and let the demon speak. 

Bendy’s mind let the image of the woman warp and twist and the laughing rang in his ears and through his mind. He suddenly screeched, “YOU’RE NOT MY ANGEL!” and took off into a sprint towards what he thought was the wicked woman. He roared ferociously with his arms out and sharp teeth bared. 

Alice narrowed her eyes and held out a hand, letting a ball of light slowly form in her palm. She hadn’t used her powers for quite some time and she was hoping that they still worked against the demon. Bendy was closing in quick and she glared at him. “With this power, I strike thee,” came her small words. 

The demon reached within feet of her and Alice’s voice rose and she reeled her arm back and shouted, “BEGONE, DEMON!” She slung the orb towards the inky monster and let it fly, hitting her mark and letting it land in his chest. Before Bendy could react, a loud bang echoed in the hallway, followed by a wail of agony. The demon stumbled backwards and clutched his chest in pain. Alice watched him, looking through the gaping hole now in his chest.

Bendy groaned softly, his hand over the wound as inky tears ran down his face. The sharp pain coming from his chest was unbearable and he couldn’t quite comprehend what had just happened. There was no way the wicked woman he knew still had powers like that. Despite what his mind had told him, he now knew, this was his angel, his dear friend from so long ago. This was, in fact, Alice Angel.

The cartoon angel held up a hand and furrowed her brows. “Get out of here! Go on, shoo!” 

Bendy looked at her silently, before slowly turning on his heels and sluggishly walking away.

Alice kept a careful eye on the monster as he made his way down the hall, turning the corner and walking away. She waited until she could no longer hear his steps, before looking over her shoulder. “Okay, guys, it’s safe.”

Henry and Betty, who had hidden inside the small closet marked as “Little Miracle Station,” opened the door and stepped out, having been slightly crammed in. Henry wiped off his clothes and Betty fixed her hair and sighed. “Thank goodness,” came her words.

Boris crawled out from under a small table and stood, looking to the angel. “Alice, what was that?”

Alice fully turned to face her friends. “I still have some power from before I fell from grace. I figured it would work against Bendy since he’s a demon.” 

Henry gave a small nod and seriousness took over his features. “Well, that should keep Bendy out of out hair for a while. We should get going. We don’t want anything else to find us.”

The advisor’s daughter agreed and nodded to show it. “Right, let’s go.” 

And so they began their walk once more, Henry leading the way and the others following

*****

They made their way through the halls for some time with light on the walls buzzing and Bendy cutouts staring at them from all sides with an almost unnatural grin. Henry had found how much the studio had changed to be unsettling and felt a sense of dread the further they went. He knew that they were in for some trouble if they weren’t careful.

The former animator stopped as they came to the end of another hall. The beginning of the next passageway was very dark, dark enough to the point where none of them could see what was ahead. It unerved the man. “Hmm… looks like it’s really dark ahead.”

“Uncle Henry?”

He turned his head to look over his shoulder and saw Betty holding a small box with a light on it. “Boris found this,” she commented, handing the light to Henry. He clicked the small button and pointed it into the hallway, seeing something unbelievable. 

Pipes rattled and creaked as gears turned and cranked. Several gears boxes lined the walls and pistons moved up and down. Everything was much more technologically advanced than Henry remembered and he almost couldn’t process what he was seeing. Taking steps into the now lit hall, he looked from left to right and back again. When was all this put into place? What was it all for? “What,” he mused aloud. “I don’t remember all this.”

Boris spoke up for the first time in a while. “I can’t remember when all this was put in, but I remember Thomas complaining about it. I think this is for the other floors and the Ink Machine.”

Betty and Henry glanced to each other. It made sense, considering how complex the studio had become and everything that had changed since the fight between the best friends. Henry shook his head as he looked around. Surely Grant must have had a heart attack at finding the cost of all this. “Geez, this must have cost a fortune.”

Loud thumps from above suddenly made Henry break into a sweat, chills running up his spine. That sounded like footsteps over their head. “Please tell me you guys heard that.” 

Betty nodded and gulped in fear. “Yeah… we’d better be careful down here.”

The darkness of the hall suddenly gave way to bright lights and at the end of the next hall stood a large metal door, the only thing blocking their path. Henry noticed this and spoke again. “Hey’s there’s a door.”

He stopped in front of the blockage and looked around and on it. There was no nearby lever like most of the other doors he had seen, but instead there was no way in. At least as far as he could tell. “Hmm…”

“What is it, Henry,” asked Alice.

“I don’t see any way to open this door. How are we gonna get in?”

“Dad?”

Henry’s blue eyes moved to his side and there stood Boris, his large eyes looking down upon his creator with something glinting in them. Anticipation, perhaps? Maybe he had an idea? 

A hand was held out with fingers curled and his sharp teeth showed as the wolf suggested, “Let me see the flashlight.”

Henry did as asked and handed him the flashlight. Boris turned to the left wall and crouched down, pulling something open. Everyone realized that he was opening a vent on the wall. After prying it open, he moved onto his hands and knees and crawled inside. There was a small series of thumps and clicks as Boris worked his way beyond the door. Suddenly, the walls lightly rattled and there opened the door, revealing a small wall with a Bendy face adorning it. Seems as though Boris had made his way beyond the entrance and got it open for his friends. However, he was not waiting for them on the other side.

Henry, seeing the wall was small and has doorways on either side, raised a brow. This didn’t look familiar. “What’s up ahead?”

The advisor’s daughter took a moment to think before voicing what she thought. “I think it’s the ‘Heavenly Toys’ room.”

Henry moved his gaze to his friend. “The what?”

“Watch.” 

It was a little odd to the man that his figurative niece didn’t tell him what was ahead, but perhaps she couldn’t explain it. So he simply nodded and decided to press on. He took cautious steps forward, not knowing if there was some kind of danger ahead, and Henry’s jaw fell open, eyes going wide. “Whoa…”

Before him was a gigantic room with high ceilings and small planes hanging from above. Bendy and Boris dolls lined every wall and a large fountain of the sorts. Ink fell like a waterfall from above and into the fountain, and there, under a large halo, read the words, “Heavenly Toys.” Henry was aghast from this room, not remembering anything of it or if it was even here in his time in the studio. “What,” he questioned. “I don’t remember this.”

Alice knew her creator hadn’t seen this rom before his departure and figured it could use an explanation. “Yeah. After Bendy got popular enough, Joey had people start making toys of us. Needless to say, Bendy and Boris’ toys sold well. Mine didn’t.” A note of disappointment came out on those last words. She had hoped and tried to become as popular as the Little Devil Darling in her time within the cartoon world, but deep in her mind,  Alice knew she would never match her companion. She knew that Bendy would always be more loved than she could ever be. It was a painful truth she had come to accept.

Henry, still looking around in awe, brought his focus back to the task at hand. They had to get to that elevator and if there wasn’t a way here, they would have to turn back. “...Do you think there’s a way to the elevator from here?”

“There should be up those stairs,” Betty responded, pointing to two sets of stairs on either side of the ink fountain. Henry nodded and made his way up, stepping into the room behind the ink fall. In the room he was before, more gears and boxes lined the walls, as well as several wheels with belts. There was a small door beyond some shelves, but they were brimming with plushies of Bendy, Boris and Alice, and were blocking the way. Henry sighed softly. “Why is there always something blocking the door?” Just his luck, wasn’t it?

Betty stepped forward with a small smile and reassured the man with her words. “Don’t worry, Henry. I got this.” She walked to the closest wall and pulled a lever, making the machine whirl to life. It hummed and clattered and the shelf that blocked their way was moved within a short time. 

Henry grinned. Good thing his niece knew his way around the studio and its fancy new fixtures and mechanics.

The door creaked and clicked as Henry opened it, followed in his stride by Betty and Alice. He hoped to see Boris in this room, but there was no sign of the wolf. Instead, this room was dedicated to the angel herself. In one side room stood a cardboard cutout of the cartoon, arms out and a wide smile on her face. The other side held a shelf with dolls of Alice, their big eyes seeming to watch them. And there, on the wall in front of them, stood a large window with a door beyond it, marked as, “ALICE ANGEL.” Above this window were the words, “SHE’S QUITE A GAL!”

Alice’s eyes instantly lit up as she looked and saw where they were. She pointed at the door and seemed to bounce a bit. “Hey, my old dressing room!”

Henry looked to his now excited friend. She had a dressing room this far down in the studio? “That was your room, Alice?”

A nod and she turned to face the humans. “Yeah! I’d get ready in there and wave and smile when anyone important visited!” As the words tumbled out, she thought about the glass that had blocked her from so many people, kept her from getting a taste of the outside world for so long. A saddened chuckle escaped her lips. “...It’s funny. Joey said I was only behind the glass because… he didn’t want outsiders to… get near me.” Her giddy grin turned into a deep frown. “Now that I think about it--”

That was when everything went dark. Alice jumped a bit and held her hands up, her despair turning to fear. Everything was so quiet, you could hear an ink drop hit the floorboards. Then, a dim light came from some televisions lining the upper corners of the room. There was Alice’s face across several screens and a small giggle radiated from the speakers. 

_ “I’m the cutest little angel sent from above, _

_ And you’re all just half as sweet! _

_ I got a bright little halo and though you know…  _

_ I’m Alice Angel!” _

Alice recognized that song. She had sang that for visitors herself and remembered Alison Pendle, her new voice actress, applauding her lovely voice. It was Alison’s voice, after all. 

Henry and Betty looked around with terror in their eyes. They didn’t know why the room had grown dark or why there was Alice’s song ringing in their ears now, but whatever the reason, it couldn’t have been good. 

_ “I’m a hit of the party,  _

_ I’m the belle of the ball, _

_ I’m a toast of every town! _

_ Just one little dance, I’ll own your heart… _

_ I’m Alice Angel!” _

The tension was rising higher than pressure in a gauge and that was when a light lit up behind the angel. She gulped and all eyes moved to the room behind the glass. The light was on now and it seemed to shine down on the door. 

_ “I ain’t no flapper,  _

_ I’m a classy dish, _

_ And boy, can this girl sing! _

_ This gal can grant your every wish…” _

The song stopped, and the only noise heard was the sound of the group’s own heartbeats. Alice could practically feel like something was on the other side of that glass… something alive. Alice raised a brow, taking steps to the glass with a hand held out. She had nearly reached the glass--

**_“I’M ALICE ANGEL!”_ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, who was that that shouted? And where is Boris? Find out soon! Feel free to comment or give kudos if you like this story!


	9. Angel's Wrath and Butcher Clones

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone! Welcome back to "Drowned in Ink!" I decided that, since my comic is going a little slow, I'll write the written chapters and do the comic based off of those instead of vice versa, that way I can get more content to you guys quicker! This chapter is a little long and a little messy, but I hope you enjoy it!

**_“I’M ALICE ANGEL!”_ **

Loud screams of terror echoed through the small room as a figure of ink rose from below the window, banging on the glass with curled fists and screaming that she was Alice Angel. The woman’s face was disfigured and she appeared to be angry at something or someone. She looked almost like a realistic version of Alice, but the group didn’t get a good look before they turned on their heels to run from the monstrosity. Henry, Betty, and Alice nearly trampled each other trying to get to the door. Before they could even reach the exit, the sound of glass breaking and falling to the floor reached their ears. Everyone didn’t want to see the figure again, but they all turned on their heels…

Only for the room to go dark. A wicked laugh radiated through the small area as Henry and Betty looked around frantically.

**_“I see you all there…”_ **

The voice that suddenly filled their ears was dark, malicious, yet silky and intrepid sounding. It seemed to echo as the woman spoke, a medley of other voices quietly speaking in sync with the loudest voice.  Most of all, this voice was familiar to the group. As the woman spoke, chills ran down everyone’s spine and they froze in place. Alice quietly whimpered as more words came forth.

**_“New flies in my endless web. Come along now. Let’s see if you’re worthy to walk with angels.”_ **

Henry looked around the room as the lights slowly returned, seeing nothing out of the ordinary on either side of him. However, he gulped in fear when he noticed the glass ahead of them now had a huge hole in it and the figure was now gone. Oh, no. That couldn’t have been good. He had no idea what that… person meant by walking with angels, but he knew it couldn’t have been good. It unnerved him how familiar that voice was or how loud that person had been. Henry was shaken to his core, just like when he had first encountered Bendy.

Alice was the first to speak after the long silence. “What… or who… was that?” Her voice was as shaky as her trembling body.

Henry shook his head and looked down at her. “I--I don’t know… but.. We should probably get going. Before she comes back.” He assumed that the figure was a woman but he couldn’t care less at this point with the fear running up and down his whole being.

Betty nodded and pointed down a large hall that was now open to their left. “Right. I think the elevator is that way.”

The trio made their way down the hall, Henry’s dress shoes and Betty and Alice’s heels clicking softly against the wooden floorboards. As they walked down the winding halls, they noticed lots of things that had not been here before. Metal boxes screwed to the walls, Bendy cutouts, Alice Angel cartoon posters, and even posters of other Bendy cartoons hung all around them. Some of the floors had metal grates on them with holes filled with pipes under the grates.

As they got deeper, things somehow got more unsettling. Candles and statues of Bendy would occasionally appear in small alcoves and random messages were written on the walls. Things like, **“THE CREATOR LIED TO US,” “I DON’T WANT TO WORK HERE ANYMORE,”** and even, **“HE WILL SET US FREE”** spoke to them from the walls. None of them knew who wrote these messages, but whoever did must not have been in the right mind and wanted only to be free of the inky madness.

Henry shook his head after tracing his fingers over another set of words written on the wall. What had Joey done to everyone in the studio while he was away? He knew that he had gone mad when he had left the studio, but the question is: how? What had happened that had changed Joey’s mind so drastically and caused him to… do all this? Had someone changed him? Or had the ink done this? He swore, he wished he could just slap some sense into Joey right now.

Those thoughts left his mind when something moved up ahead in the hall they were in. After taking a few turns, they had come to a long hallway with another Little Miracle Station in it. That was when Henry stopped, holding his arm out as a way for Betty and Alice to do the same. His breathing quickened when he saw what had moved. There, from behind a corner, was a Bendy cutout. It seemed to be leaning from behind the wall and staring them down with those pie cut eyes.

Betty and Henry looked at each other with confusion. The cutouts shouldn’t be able to move, should they? Unless it was more of that dark magic that had taken to studio?

Their fears were replaced with slight annoyance when they heard a familiar chuckle as the cutout disappeared around the wall. It was like the person laughing was trying to contain it but was failing horribly. Henry sighed and walked forward with suspicions in mind. Those suspicions were confirmed when he found Boris around the corner, holding onto the Bendy cutout with something in one of his hands. He had a goofy grin on his face and his eyes seemed to sparkle. At realizing it was Henry who had come around the corner, Boris’ tail began to wag. “Heya, Dad!”

“Boris.” Henry rolled his eyes before closing them and shaking his head. “God, you scared us to death, buddy. Don’t do stuff like that, please.”

The wolf’s ears fell a bit. “Sorry, Dad. I was just tryin’ to lighten the mood. Especially after that mean lady tried to get me.”

Henry’s eyes snapped open at those words and his face turned more serious. “What mean lady?”

“Well,” Boris began as he set the cutout against the wall. Betty and Alice had now appeared behind Henry and watched him with intent, having heard what he said. “I had made my way into the Heavenly Toys room to open the door for you all when some lady came out and said all kinds of stuff to me. She told me that I… ‘perfect,’ and that y’all were just usin’ me. She said all kinds of bad stuff about you guys and tried to grab me and take me away.” He frowned deeply and furrowed his brows. “She was really mean about you, Dad. And about Alice, too. She kept saying bad things about you. Called Alice, ‘imperfect’ and called Dad a, ‘betrayer.’ I just ran away from her, ‘cause I didn’t want to hear anymore of it. She tried to follow me until I found this and swung at her with it.” He gestured to the object in his hand, which turned out to be a pipe.

Henry had listened intently to every word that had spilled from Boris’ lips. His blue eyes looked from side to side as he thought for a moment, before he asked a question. “Boris, what did she look like?”

“Um… tall, like me. She looked like she was made of ink, with long hair, a black dress with a couple of bows, and she had horns and a halo. She looked almost like you, Alice.” He scrunched his features at remembering her face. “But she had an eye missin’ and part of her mouth was gone.”

Henry tried to remember what he could of the woman they had seen in Alice’s room. They hadn’t really gotten a good look at her face, but everything else seemed to match. Maybe they had seen the same woman? They could think on that later, for now, they had to keep moving lest Bendy find them. “Well, we should keep moving. We need to find that elevator and get down to the pentagram so we can stop all this.”

Everyone nodded in agreement and followed the former animator through the door next to the wolf. When he opened it, they were greeted with another hallway. This time, however, there was a large metal door at the end of the corridor and a lever on the wall a few feet away from the door. As the group neared the door, Betty noticed that there were two wires running from the metal blocking their way. One led to the lever nearby, but the other led around a bend to their left. “Uncle Henry,” she murmured, turning to look at the man. “I think we need to flip two levers at once here. I see a wire leading down that hallway, and there’s a wire connecting this lever to the door.”

Henry’s eyes followed the long black line as he nodded. “Looks like the other is down that hall.” He looked to the toons and woman and held up a hand. “I’ll go check to see if the other lever is there. Boris, can I see that pipe?” When it was in his hand, Henry took steps down the corridor and around the corner. He held the pipe close should something attack him or to defend himself should Bendy decide to show his smiling face.

When he got around the bend, Henry found what he was looking for and a poster for another cartoon on the wall. This one had Bendy in the corner, but the main focus were the three toons in the center. One was dressed in a vest with a beard and looked almost like a monkey. One was dressed like a sailor with a pipe in his mouth, a lifesaver on his arm, and an eye patch and sailor’s hat on his head. The last one almost looked like a cross between a monkey and a spider with an animal like face and an arachnid body.

Henry sighed as he remembered who these cartoons were. Another set of toon that Joey had taken credit for after the former animator showed them to him. Barely, Charley, and Edgar, the Butcher Gang. These three were like Bendy’s enemies, constantly trying to capture him and ruin his plans with his friends. Henry very vividly remembered coming up with these three and showing them off to his business partner. And just like with Bendy, Boris, and Alice, Joey took credit for them and pushed Henry closer to leaving.

A small frowned made its way onto Henry’s face at remembering this. He still remembered the fight with Joey, hearing those words as loud and as angry as the day they were spoken to him 30 years ago. The man still remembered how own harsh words and how he had to keep himself from punching Joey square in the nose before he left. The fight had lingered on his mind for so many years…

Now was not the time to think about that. Henry shook his head to file those memories away, before he stepped closer to the poster and reached for the lever.

A horrible, blood-curdling cry suddenly ran through the air and the poster ripped open to show a hole in the wall and something crawling from it. Henry’s head snapped towards the noise and he let out a shriek of terror when a small ink monster came forth from the hole and dropped to the floor. Henry scrambled backwards and took a look at his new foe. He looked almost like Charley, but one of his eyes was stitched shut, his clothes were torn, he was missing a hand and one of his legs had been replaced with a plunger. The inky creature made strange and almost strained noises as it swung a wrench at Henry, nailing him in the lower leg. Henry cried out and put a hand on the pained spot. Oh, that was going to bruise for sure. He growled and grasped tighter onto the pipe in his hand and swung back, causing the creature to snarl and hop towards him. Henry made his way to the end of the hall. He had to remember his close combat training from all those years ago. He took a better stance so he could move should this Charley try to strike him again. He reeled the pipe back, waiting for the right moment…

Before swinging the pipe again, sending it into the side of Charley’s face and breaking his neck. The body spun and hit the ground, falling limp as Henry panted and watched it for any movement. The body stayed still, not even a breath came forth. Henry sighed and wiped the sweat from his brow.

“Dad?! What was that?!”

The former animator looked to his left when he heard Boris’ voice and there stood the rest of their group. They all had their eyes wide in shock. After a moment of watching the body, Betty stepped to her figurative uncle and asked, “Are you okay? Did it hurt you?”

“It… got my leg, but I don’t think it’s too bad. We can check it later.”

“No, Uncle Henry, we’re checking it now.” She then kneeled and rolled up Henry’s pants leg, making him wince when it touched the part of his leg that had been hit. Betty looked over the spot, putting some pressure with a finger and making Henry wince again. She sighed in relief. “Thank goodness that thing didn’t cut you open. Looks like that’ll leave a nasty bruise, but there’s no cuts.” She put down the cloth back around Henry’s leg and stood. “You’re lucky I have first aid training.”

Henry wanted to ask where she had gotten such training from, but stopped when a series of thumps came from somewhere beyond the hall they were in. Everyone glanced at each other with fear in their eyes. They realized at that moment that it wasn’t just Bendy they had to look out for. There were more creatures in this studio and they were out for blood.

Henry hesitantly went back to the lever, pulling on it and hearing the door open down the hall. He was still tired from the small battle, but he knew they needed to get going. The sooner they could erase that pentagram, the sooner they could free this place from Joey’s dark magic… or whatever he had used to turn the studio into a literal Hell hole.

The cartoons and human made their way through the large door and found another hall brimming with mechanical parts beyond it. They took careful steps through the hall and came out onto a small area with stairs leading down below. Betty patted Henry’s shoulder. “Henry, look!”

Henry’s eyes followed where she was pointing and his face lit up when he saw it: the elevator. It was an old fashioned one with a cage around it that would pull back like a door and let people inside it. “There it is, guys!” he exclaimed. “We just gotta get in there and take it down as far as we can get!”

The toons smiled widely and Alice jumped over the railings, landing with grace on the floor below. “Well, what are we waiting for?!” she shouted. “Let’s get going!”

Henry, Betty, and Boris laughed as Alice made a run into the elevator, clasping her hands together as she waited for the others to come down the stairs. They took a little time, as the stairs were creaky as an old door, but once everyone was in the elevator, the doors closed. Henry was about to push the button for the lowest floor they could reach but a recognizable voice spoke to them.

**_“You’re so interesting… so different. I have to say, I’m an instant fan.”_ **

Alice and Boris instantly wrapped their arms around each other and Betty put her hands to her chest in fear. Henry, though very much afraid, looked around for the source of the voice. It wasn’t clear how she could speak to them but he wanted an explanation. “Who are you,” he questioned in a strong voice. “What do you want from us?”

A dark chuckle came through. **_“Oh, you silly man. You haven’t heard of me? You poor thing. Down here,_ ** **_I_ ** **_make the rules._ ** **_I_ ** **_say who lives and who dies. I am the keeper of fate of all who come to the studio. You step into the lower floors of Joey Drew Studios, you step into_ ** **_my_ ** **_domain. You will do as I say, lest the Ink Demon take your lives as I watch you die.”_ **

Those words made Henry’s blood run cold. He didn’t know who the owner of the voice was but he didn’t want to find out. He would rather take the elevator down and get this ordeal over with. “And… what happens if we don’t obey you?”

Betty and Alice screamed as two large hands made of ink shot up from the floor of the elevator and grabbed Henry by the neck. He instantly choked and reached up to try and remove the constricting force from his windpipe. His eyes went wide as the voice yelled at the man.

**_“THEN YOU’LL DROWN IN MY WRATH!”_ **

Henry gasped for breath as Betty and Boris did their best to pry away the hands. His vision was starting to get fuzzy and dark and the kicking of his legs began to get slower. The hands suddenly melted away, Henry fell to the ground, landing on his hands and knees as he moved a hand to his throat. Betty and Boris kneeled next to him to make sure he was okay. Henry’s face was a little red from lack of air, but he seemed fine other than that.

**_“Unless you_ ** **_really_ ** **_want to die, I suggest you do as I ask.”_ ** The voice chuckled again. **_“Looks like you all have got a date with an angel! Come to me now. Level nine. Just follow the screams.”_ **

Henry looked at the others when he had finally gotten his breathing back to normal. He didn’t know who the voice belonged to, or what she wanted, but looks like they had no choice. If they wanted to get out alive, they had to do as she asked. Looks like this was going to be a longer journey than any of them wanted it to be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, looks like everyone has a date with an angel! But who is this angel? And what does she have in store for our crew? Thanks for reading! Feel free to leave comments and kudos!


	10. In The Warehouse Below

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone! Woo, I am on a roll with these chapters! This one was super fun to write and I love how it came out! Enjoy!

The ride down to the ninth level seemed longer than it was as Henry, Betty, Boris, and Alice waited for it to end. They were all still terrified of what had happened earlier when Henry had spoken to the woman. Henry had nearly died for asking a simple question and they knew that if they talked, the woman would be able to hear everything they said. So they had stayed in silence as the elevator descended. The creaks and noises from ink monsters on the floors they passed unsettled them all but they stayed quiet out of fear of displeasing the woman again.

The elevator let out a small ding and the doors finally opened. Henry was the first to step out, taking a few steps into the large room where their journey had led them.

**_“Come on, step out of your cage,”_ ** came the inky woman’s wicked voice again.  **_“There’s a whole twisted world out here.”_ **

This room appeared to be some kind of entrance to a warehouse, with a bridge leading across a river of ink that flooded some nearby hallways. On the other side of the room, there were stairs that led to a large metal door with an Alice Angel head above it and two hands holding a banner. The banner read, “ **SHE’S QUITE A GAL!,”** just like the one above the window that had had the inky woman behind it. With a couple of posters on the wall that depicted Alice, seemed this was the wicked woman’s domain.

Henry could hear the others following him as he made his way down to the bridge, slowly walking and taking in all the details of this room. Near the metal door was a bin, and a large cylinder that seemed to rotate. Boris suddenly went ahead of Henry, running to the stairs and up to the door. The former animator looked at him in a confused manner. He didn’t know why Boris seemed to be in such a hurry, but this seemed out of character for him. The wolf didn’t even say a word as he ran up the stairs.

Betty and Alice took their time as Henry led the way, all of them making their way up to wooden boards and to the door. The room seemed to rumble as the doors slowly slid open and Boris ran inside. Henry quickly said, “Boris, wait up!” and the wolf slowed his pace so the others could catch up to him. However, just as they reached him, he sped ahead once again. They looked around as they walked down the halls to this warehouse, seeing cutouts of the darling angel staring at them from all sides. “What in the world,” Henry whispered under his breath.

“ **OH MY GOD!”**

A shout up ahead from Boris had everyone running to reach the end of the hallway. As they reached an opening, Henry asked in a worried voice, “Boris, what’s wrong?! What--” What they saw next made all their jaws drop. 

They had come into the main room of the warehouse and its lowers floor was flooded with the blackness that had consumed the studio. A few boards acted as a bridge to the other side of the warehouse, but that wasn’t the part that made them gape in shock. No, what was… was the clones of Charley and Boris that were strapped to operating tables and another couple of disfigured cartoons hanging from the ceiling. They all had their eyes replaced with x’s, the classic cartoon sign of being dead. The clones of the wolf and other cartoons were still as could be. 

A whimper came from their right and there was their Boris, staring at one of his dead clones with his body shaking and hands over his mouth. He couldn’t believe what he was seeing. This is just like what Joey had done to him by Joey all those years ago… or so he had been told. What if it wasn’t Joey who had killed him though? What if Boris had been killed by that woman and didn’t even remember it? What if she had really been the one to gut him all those years ago and Joey was just doing the dirty work for her? The thought… it terrified him and he let a few soft whimpers escape his lips. 

Alice noticed the noises of distress from Boris and walked over to him, softly patting his back in an attempt to comfort him. It seemed to work, as the wolf’s cries stopped and his shaking became hardly noticeable. “Boris,” Alice voiced once she was sure he was calm. “We gotta see what this lady wants. C’mon.” 

The wolf wiped a tear from his eye and nodded. They made their way back to Betty and Henry and the group began to move across the wooden boards that acted as a bridge to the other side. Alice easily floated over the makeshift bridge with her powers but the others had to hold out their arms and take much more careful steps to avoid falling into the dark liquid that surrounded them. The air was thick with tension as they made their way through the room, the “angel” speaking to them and catching their attention.

**_“Look around. It took so many of them to make me so beautiful. Anything that was less than perfect was left behind. I had to do it._ ** **_She_ ** **_made me.”_ **

Henry looked behind him at the others as those words were uttered. Who made her do this? What did she mean by using the cartoons to make her beautiful? Whatever the answer to those questions was, they would have to think on it later. For now, there was someone they had to see and they were nearly to the other side of the ink pool.

The former animator stepped onto the other side with a small hop from the bridge, turning and holding out a hand for Betty to hold onto as she stepped off too. Boris, though still holding his arms out as he walked, was being guided by Alice holding onto his shoulders. When all the crew had made their way to solid floor, they turned and looked up at the large metal door that was slowly opening for them. When it was out of the way, Henry led the way again with Betty, Boris, and Alice following close behind. Their footsteps echoed in the small hallway, along with what sounded like some sort of electrical noises, like something was being shocked, and wails of agony. Many more Alice cutouts and posters stared at them from the corners of the halls. It was what was at the end that had them all in surprise. They all moved from behind Henry and stood side by side as they took in what was before them. 

There, behind a glass window, was a tall black and white figure behind a control panel. She was about as tall as Boris. She had long black hair and bangs, wore a black dress with two white bows and her arms and legs were drenched in the dark, inky blackness that had covered everything else in this place. Two pointed horns and a broken halo were embedded into her head. The thing they could now see about her was exactly what Boris described: while one yellow eye was in the right eye socket, the left one was completely hollow. Half of her mouth was missing lips as strands of white stretched across the exposed teeth. She looked exactly as Boris had described.

The inky woman pushed a button on her control panel at seeing her visitors, stopping the flow of electricity running to the cartoon strapped to her table. Oh, so they had actually obeyed her orders to come to her? Interesting… Her one eye slightly widened upon seeing the man, but it grew wider when her gaze landed on the two cartoons that had followed the humans in. Another Boris clone, but something about this one was different. He had no flaws that she could see. It was the same Boris she had met in the Heavenly Toys room. The perfect one.

And then her eyes landed on a smaller cartoon, an Alice Angel one. A small glare was sent her way. She thought  _ she _ was the only angel around here.  _ She  _ was the perfect one around here. However, this little one looked just as she had in the cartoons, and “Alice” felt a fire light in her core. She would get this little angel out of her way and then… then  _ she  _ would be the only angel around here.

“Alice” noticed that everyone was staring at her now, so she composed herself and cleared her throat.  **_“Now, we come to the question...”_ ** came her echoing voice.  **_“Do I kill you all? Do I tear you all apart to my heart’s delight?”_ ** She chuckled and used a hand to brush back some of her hair.  **_“The choices of the beautiful are unbearable. How’s a girl to choose?”_ **

Henry gulped and felt his hands trembling at the mention of killing them. He didn’t want to die down here, he wanted to get home to Linda and get his friends out of here. He just wanted to erase that damn pentagram and go home with his friends close behind. The former animator stepped forward and spoke to the angel in a slightly quivering voice. “Madam, I don’t know what you want with us… but we don’t want any trouble. We’re just looking for a way to get to the lowest floor.”

“Alice” furrowed her brows and looked quizzically at Henry. What on Earth were they doing trying to get down there? She shrugged that off and shook her head.  **_“It’s not as simple as that, my dear. Down here, I rule, and I do not take to intruders lightly.”_ ** She gestured to the operating table next to her control panel, the humans and cartoons now noticing the Charley clone strapped down to it.  **_“Take this little freak for instance! He crawled in here… trailing his tainted ink to my door! It could have touched me! It could have pulled me back!”_ **

Henry and the others noticed how “Alice” seemed to shrink back and curl up in fear and how her voice morphed into a medley of voices, one standing out and seeming to be filled with fear.  **_“Do you know what it’s like? Living in the dark puddles?”_ ** She stood straight and her face changed to more anger than terror.  **_“It’s a buzzing, screaming well of voices! Bits of your mind, swimming... like… like fish in a bowl! The first time I was born from its inky womb, I was a wriggling, pussing, shapeless slug. The second time… well…”_ ** She held out her arms and held her head high.  **_“It made me an angel!”_ **

“Alice” quickly composed herself and glared down at the group, speaking to no one but herself for a moment.  **_“I will not let the Demon touch me again. I’m so close now. So… almost perfect.”_ ** The inky woman’s gaze lightened and she smiled in a monsterous manner.  **_“Yes, I will spare you all. For now.”_ ** She pointed a finger at the humans and toons.  **_“Better yet… I’ll even let you ascend and leave this place.”_ ** “Alice” held up a hand as Betty opened her mouth to speak.  **_“If you will do a few eensey, weensey little favors for me first.”_ ** Her halo seemed to bounce on her head as she gestured to the hallway leading out of the room.  **_“Return to the lift, my little errand boys and girls. We have work to do!”_ **

Before anyone could say another word to the angel, a large door clapped down and shut them away as she pushed the button to continue her work. Henry gazed at the spot where “Alice” had been moments before, his blue eyes filled with confusion. She said she would spare them, but what kind of tasks would they be doing for her? Would they have to kill monsters for her, just so they wouldn’t, “pull her back?” Would they need to gut more clones for her? Henry shuddered at the thought.

Betty noticed how Henry was on edge and put a hand on his shoulder. “You okay?”

Henry shook his head. “Not exactly. I don’t know what she wants us to do, but I have a bad feeling about it. Besides, she said we can leave when we’ve finished her tasks, but I don’t want to leave yet! We need to get down there and erase that pentagram so everything will go back to normal!”

Boris and Alice moved a little closer to Henry as Betty spoke to him. “Well… Maybe these tasks won’t be so bad, Uncle Henry. Besides, if we do them, maybe we can find another way down to the lowest floor after she lets us go. And… I don’t think we have a choice as to whether or not we can do these tasks. After what happened in the elevator, I feel like she has more powers and influence down here than we thought. It’s almost like she’s the queen of the studio down here and Bendy is a king and they’re fighting over who rules.” She pointed to where “Alice” had been. “I have a bad feeling that if we don’t do as she says, we might not make it to the pentagram. I say we do her tasks, then find another way down.” 

Henry thought for a moment. This woman had great power, likely from Joey’s magic and takeover of the studio, and she had great influence here. Fighting her wasn’t an option right now, so they really didn’t have a choice. But like Betty had said, maybe there was another way down to the pentagram. If they met “Alice’s” demands, and she let them leave, they could sneak away and find some way down. At this point, with all of the things that Joey had added in Henry’s time away from the studio, he wasn’t sure how far down everything went. But there had to be another way to get to the lowest room. 

Henry gave a nod after some moments of thought. “I guess you’re right. We just need to be careful down here. Know that there’s Charley monsters here, I’m guessing there’s also monsters of Edgar and Barley, so we need to watch out for anything trying to hurt us. And with the four of us, we should be able to get these done. The sooner we get her tasks done, the sooner we get out of here. We should all find some weapons, just in case we need to defend ourselves, and then we do as she says.”

Boris and Alice nodded, the angel speaking up. “Sounds like a plan to me. Let’s get going!” 

Alice lead the way this time, her little heels clicking as the group followed close behind. They had no idea what was waiting in these dark halls, but they had a feeling in the pits of their stomachs that whatever creatures were down here, they wouldn’t be friendly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, looks like our crew are now errand boys and girls for "Alice." But what awaits them in the inky halls of the studio? Find out soon! Feel free to leave kudos and comments!


	11. Gears and Ink Monsters

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, guys! I have the next chapter ready for you all! We'll get to see a bit into Henry and Boris' thoughts in this one!

The journey through the warehouse and back out to the entrance was short and the group said next to nothing as they came to a realization. With “Alice’s” influence and powers able to attack them from anywhere, they were basically prisoners until they finished these tasks. They were slaves to a fallen angel. However, as Henry said when Boris voiced this realization, they just had to do as she asked and they would be out of here and back on their way in no time.

As they reached the entrance to the angel’s domain, the door closed behind them and “Alice;s” voice came from speakers above their heads. 

**_“My machines are hungry. Gather me some spare parts! I’m looking for a special large gear that can be found in some boxes on the walls. I have a tool for each of you in that tube near the door. Take them and get moving.”_ **

A sound like moving metal came from the group’s right and they saw part of the tube rotate, only to turn back around and reveal four large wrenches. Everyone took one and examined them, before “Alice” spoke again.

**_“Look for boxes on the walls and use these to get them open. There should be a few on Level K, but I’ve also seen some on the other floors. When you’re done, bring them back and put them in that box to your left. Now, go.”_ **

Henry gave a nod, knowing that the inky woman could somehow see him. He looked to Betty and held his wrench in a tight grip. “Okay, so I think we should split up. We’ll be able to cover more floors that way. Be careful for any Butcher Gang clones. I saw a few Charleys in there, and I think I saw one that looked like Barely. I can only assume all three are here in the studio.” He pointed to Alice with Boris with his wrench. “You two, take floors 11 and P. Betty, follow one of the toons. I’ll take Level K. Let’s head to K first, then you guys head to your floors. Once you’ve found some gears, find somewhere close to the elevator to hide until I come get you guys. That way we can head back here together.”

Everyone nodded before Henry began leading them to the elevator once more. As they reached the lift, that familiar echoing voice came from over their heads again. 

**_“There are so few rules to our world now. So little truths. But there is one rule we all know and respect down here. Beware the Ink Demon. Stay out in the open for too long and he will find you. For if you see him, you’d better hide. If you don’t, well, I enjoyed our date. Now, let us begin our work.”_ **

Henry looked up as the voice faded, before returning his gaze ahead, leading the group to the elevator. Once everyone was inside, he pushed the button for Level K and stepped back. The lift began to move and as it did so, Alice spoke up. “Henry?”

Blue eyes moved to the black pie cut ones beside him. “Yes?”

“Do you think she’ll really let us go once we do all of the stuff she wants us to?”

Henry frowned, pursing his lips together. He had thought about what the angel had said, and the way she looked at Boris and Alice earlier. It was a look of pure resentment and anger, as though she hated the two cartoons. And with how she seemed to be obsessed with her appearance, Henry had a hunch of what that look was for. “Truth be told,” he finally answered to his little angel friend. “I don’t know. You can tell she wants to be beautiful with what she said earlier, but I don’t know how honest she’s being with us. For all we know, she could be sending us out to get killed by Bendy.” He held his wrench with one hand, setting its head in his other palm. “But she’s shown us her powers. If we want any chance of getting out of here, we’ve gotta do as she asks and not incur her wrath.”

Alice nodded in understanding, gripping her tool as if it was her lifeline. She was scared, scared beyond anything else she had felt in this studio. She had been trapped here for the five years since Bendy’s transformation, and not even when she had been cornered by monsters and Bendy himself had she been this scared. Something about this woman terrified her. A shake of her head was given. Alice knew she couldn’t be scared now. The end was so close at this point and she knew that all of this would be over soon. She just had to take a brave stance and keep going. 

The elevator dinged and the doors opened, letting Henry see that they had reached Level K. He stepped out, hearing Betty say, “Good luck, Uncle Henry” behind him. He then heard the sound of the elevator moving down again.

And there he was, on his own, all alone. He was on his own until they met up again and he felt a sense of fear in his heart. He had been in a war and yet he was never this scared… save for time he had gotten trapped under rubble during the war and was afraid he would never be found. But even then, the fear he felt wasn’t as overwhelming as this dread was now. 

Henry shook his head and gripped his wrench a little tighter. He had been a soldier once. He wouldn't let his fear get to him so easily. Sure, it had been some time, but he knew he was braver than this. Taking a deep breath, the former animator began to make his way up the stairs that the group had taken earlier to get to the lift. 

The halls of Joey Drew Studios were eerily quiet as Henry got to the top of the stairs and went back through the halls that had led them to the elevator. He didn’t notice until now that the hall he was in had mechanical parts and gears like the darkened hall they had walked through before. It was like someone had busted open the walls to reveal the inner workings of the building and made a hallway. 

As the man walked further in, Henry came into a room he hadn’t noticed they had passed through. It looked to be a storage room for Heavenly Toys. Shelves lined the walls in neat rows, filled with toys of Bendy, Boris, and Alice. Many had fallen over and ink puddles splashed under his feet. More of the dark liquid seeped from the ceiling and trailed down the walls. Henry looked to his left and noticed a gear box on the wall. He quickly screwed it open and found a large gear in the middle of many smaller ones. This must be what “Alice” had asked for.

Taking the gear and putting it into his pocket, Henry began to think again as he searched the walls and found a few more of the boxes. He couldn’t help but feel that there was something familiar about “Alice.” Something about her voice was trying to ring a bell in his head, but he couldn’t place where he had heard that voice. Sure, it was one among many that the fallen angel seemed to have, but that main voice seemed familiar. 

After a few more minutes of searching, Henry concluded he had found all the gear boxes on this floor and made his way back to the elevator, pushing the button and waiting for it to come up. When it did and the doors opened, Henry stepped inside and pushed the button for the floor just below him, hoping the others had done as he asked and was now waiting for him. 

Reaching the floor below, Henry waited for the doors to open and stepped out, gripping hsi wrench with two hands.

“Henry.”

A whisper came from his right and his gaze moved to a Little Miracle Station near the corner of the room. Out stepped Betty and Boris with a few gears in each of their hands. Betty looked at her figurative uncle and asked, “You find some?”

A nod given. “Yeah, I found a few of them, I found four. How many did you guys find?”

“I found four, too.”

“I found three,” Boris spoke up. 

“Alright, now we just need to find Alice. Did she go downstairs?”

Betty nodded and the two followed Henry to the lift, pushing the button for the next floor once inside. The climb down was short and as soon as the doors opened, a little angel came running in with a few gears in her arms. She quickly shut the door and panted as she looked up at the others. Henry noticed the shock on her face and asked, “Alice, are you okay?”

“I--I’m fine… There was… Henry, you were right. All of the Butcher Gang is here. I ran into another Charley clone and… there were two others. One looked like Edgar, but two of his arms were put together with some metal thing, he had a mouth on his head, and he had a real eye instead of a cartoon eye. The other one… it had Barley’s body, but his head was attached to a string on a stick. And it looked… horrifying.” Alice shuddered at remembering the screeches of pain and anger they made when she was spotted, and the sounds of cracking and popping all over as she fought them with her wrench. “Henry, I was so scared. They were so ugly and they wouldn’t stop chasing me… I had to… but I didn’t want to…” She closed her eyes and a few inky tears ran down her face.

Henry could see the tears and he reached down and wiped them from Alice’s cheeks. “Alice… I’m sorry. I know it must have been hard since they look like the Butcher Gang, but I can assure you, those weren’t them. Those were monsters Joey made, not the Gang. You didn’t hurt them, you didn’t kill them. Those monsters tried to hurt you, and you were only defending yourself. And trust me when I say that they’re in a better place. Okay?”

The words seemed to calm Alice considerably, and she nodded softly, sniffling a bit. She held out the gears she had collected, showing that she had found at least eight of them. “I got eight gears.”

Everyone jumped when “Alice’s” voice suddenly came over the speakers.

**_“Ah, that should be plenty. Return them to me. And try not to die on the way back.”_ **

Henry looked around, waiting for more, but nothing else was said. He pushed the button for the ninth level and the slow climb down began.

*****

Alice placed the last of the gears and the wrenches into the box next to the warehouse entrance and the voice of the taller angel spoke to the group once more.

**_“Have you seen them? The swollen ones! They’re just stuffed full of extra thick ink. It makes me sick! And yet… it’s the perfect thing for keeping myself together. If you’re going to catch them, you’ll have to learn to move quietly. I have some new tools for you.”_ **

The sound of turning metal made everyone look, and in the tube were what looked like four large syringes. Each of the group took one and examined them, seeing that the needles were fairly large and hollow.

Betty gently flicked a finger against her needle to make sure it wasn’t loose, before turning to Henry. He was looking over his tool when she asked, “Same plan as before?”

The former animator nodded. “Yep. Betty, since you were with Boris last time, try heading with Alice to Level P. Boris, head to Level 11. I’ll take K again.”

*****

Boris’ steps were quiet as he looked around in the small room he was in. He had been dropped off on Level 11 before the others headed to their respective levels. He had started thinking as he searched for the ones “Alice” called, “the Swollen Ones.” A thought that he couldn’t shake took over his mind as he found some writing on the wall beside him. In the time since Henry and Betty told him that Joey had strapped him down and gutted him, Boris had thought that to be true. But now that had changed. What if this copy of his friend had been the one to gut him after Joey strapped him down all those years ago? And for what reason would she do that? Just to make herself beautiful?

Another thought passed through the wolf’s head as he walked into a small room with large windows to the hall. There were multiple of him now, clones that had had the same fate as him, but were not brought back to life as he was. What if he actually wasn’t the Boris that he thought he was? What if he just had the memories of the first Boris that Joey made? It made sense to him, but at the same time, it didn’t, and Boris’ head was starting to hurt from thinking about it.

A humanlike moan caught his ears and he turned to look through the window. Inside the other room across from him was a desk, a camera, and some papers scattered on the floor. It wasn’t those that caught his attention though. What did was the… rather large Searcher sitting in the middle of the floor, groaning as if in pain. Boris realized this must be one of the creatures “Alice” was talking about. It certainly looked… swollen, like there was too much ink in its form to be stable. 

Remembering the words of the fallen angel, Boris began to tiptoe out the door and towards the other room. Every creak the floor made seemed to be louder than it really was and he silently cursed as he got closer to the door to the room. When he reached it, he pushed it open a quietly as he could manage. The squeak that came through caused the Searcher to stiffen, before going back to its gently movements. Boris nearly sighed in relief but managed to keep himself from doing so when he remembered to move quietly. 

Taking the syringe in both hands, Boris finally got within inches of the monster. He felt his lip trembling at the noises the creature made. It sounded as if in great agony and he almost couldn’t bring himself to do this. However, he knew that if he didn’t, his friends would suffer for his mistake. Raising up the syringe, he brought it down into the Searcher’s back and it cried out as he drew some of the ink from its body. 

“I’m so sorry,” Boris almost whimpered out as he took the tool away. The monster seemed to melt away, its form slowly turning into a puddle of ink. Boris let out a half sob, half cough, before running towards the elevator. He had closed his eyes and tears flowed from their corners. As Boris tried to wipe his eyes, he was stopped when he bounced off of something large, right in the middle of his way. He fell onto his back and his syringe fell from his hand, skidding across the floor into a wall.

The wolf looked up and pushed himself up with his arms… only to stare up into the unseen eyes of the Ink Demon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uh, oh! Looks like Boris is in trouble! Can he get out of it alive? Find out soon!  
> Feel free to leave kudos and comments!


	12. Fighting the Inky Fight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, everyone! Got another chapter for you guys! We're almost to the end of where Chapter 3 comes in, and I had so much fun incorporating canon elements into my AU. Hope you enjoy! I can't wait to get to Chapter 4!

Boris scrambled back as he looked up in terror of the Ink Demon, his breathing turning rapid and ink running from his brow. He was all alone with Bendy. He was all alone and didn’t have anyone to save him should the demon decide to dish his wrath out. No Henry, no Betty, no Alice. He was truly alone with Bendy.

Bendy looked down at the intruder to his hallways, mouth set into a deep frown. He had heard this moans from a Searcher and knew someone was here. They only made those noises in the presence of living creatures. And here was a clone of his dear best friend, one that somehow managed to escape the wicked woman’s clutches and was wandering _his_ hallways, _his_ domain. Bendy wasn’t sure how this one got away, but he would not tolerate someone coming into his territory.

Boris held up an arm as Bendy got a little closer, examining him. He could practically feel the monster’s breath against his arm. The beast raised an arm up, ready to strike. Boris whimpered out, “Ben, please, don’t do this!”

Bendy stopped, his arm slowly moving back down to his side. Ben… Ben… only _his_ Boris and Alice called him that. The real Boris and Alice, not some clones or the wicked woman who called herself “Alice.” The demon looked down and noticed how… perfect this Boris was. He had no sketchy or unfinished lines like the others. His eyes, his limbs, his tail, his face; everything was perfect on this one.

Bendy gripped onto his head with one hand. No, it couldn’t be. Joey took his Boris away from him and gutted him so long ago. He had seen his Boris’ dead body with his own eyes. The pain in his head at this conflict grew and he hissed and brought his other hand up to his cranium. **_“No,”_ ** the monster groaned out. **_“You’re not real… you’re not my Boris! YOU’RE NOT MY BORIS!”_ **

It was only then that Boris noticed that Bendy’s appearance seemed to have changed since he last saw him. Rather than being a big goopy mess with large limbs, he had gotten very skinny and it looked like a ribcage was showing through his inky skin. His limbs looked very humalike, his left hand wearing a large white glove. His right hand was bare and had a human appearance. His bowtie was crooked and his tail was a little shorter.

Boris was confused as to why the demon was swinging his head back and forth and screaming about the wolf, but he knew this was likely his only chance to escape. Slinking across the room, he grabbed the syringe and stood straight.

Bendy howled and threw his head back, gripping onto his temples with all his strength. He didn’t know if this Boris was the one he knew but a part of him was screaming that it was just a clone. The thoughts crashed together like cymbals in his head and it was causing him great pain.

Now was his chance. Boris made a run past Bendy and down the hall that led to the lift, taking large strides to get there as fast as he could.

Henry could hear loud footsteps as the elevator descended. It reached Level 11 and the trio in the lift saw Boris running towards them at full speed, syringe in hand and fear on his face. As soon as the doors opened and he was inside, the cartoon pushed the button for the door and looked down the hall.

Betty stepped forward, but before she could ask what he was running from, a screech of anger echoed down the hall. All eyes moved to the outside and everyone screamed when they caught sight of Bendy, screaming with arms reaching for them. Boris practically slammed his hand into the button for the ninth floor and they watched an arm reach through for them as the elevator went down. The screeches slowly got quiet until nothing was heard. Everyone was silent for a few minutes. Henry was the one to speak up. “Boris… what happened up there?”

“I… I really don’t know, Dad,” he answered with his eyes half lidded. “I ran into him and he almost killed me. But when I called him Ben, he started shakin’ his head around and yelled about how I’m not, ‘his Boris.’ I don’t know what he meant, but I have a bad feelin’ about it.” He turned more serious and turned to his friends and creator. “How much ink did y’all get? I got some from one Searcher.”

Henry, Betty and Alice showed their syringes.

“I got some from three.”

“I got two.”

“I got one.”

**_“How sickening! Makes my skin crawl!”_ ** came “Alice’s” voice over the speakers. **_“But, the task is done. Bring me back my equipment, please.”_ **

Boris looked up, before returning his gaze to his friends. “Do ya think she saw what happened with Ben?”

Henry thought with a hand on his chin. “I would think so, since she seems to see everything we do. But she did warn us about Bendy. I guess we just need to be more careful.”

*****

Henry placed the syringes into the box and looked up at the Alice head above the door to the warehouse. The group waited for their captor to speak.

**_“I’ll make this simple. Look for valve panels. Turn the little wheels. Then bring me their power cores. I have new tools for you as well. Please don’t make me regret sparing you. I can always change my mind.”_ **

The tube turned again and this time, a set of plungers were presented to them. Everyone took a plunger and Henry nodded when all eyes moved to him. The crew then made their way to the lift and headed upwards, ready for whatever faced them in the halls of the studio.

*****

Alice and Betty slowly walked past a Bendy cutout and a Little Miracle Station as they entered Level P, seeing a window that showed some of the inner workings hidden behind the walls. They held their plungers with both hands, ready to strike if need be. They had dropped of Henry and left Boris to get himself to Level 11 again, wishing him luck and that he didn’t run into Bendy again. The girls were left alone and now looked for the valve panels “Alice” had spoke of.

As they walked through the hall, a sound came from ahead. It almost sounded like a projector was on and was showing something. Alice looked at Betty with a raised brow, but they shrugged it off as the human pointed to a small box with some tubes on the wall. After a little wheel turning, they retrieved the power core and continued on, having to step into a pool of ink to keep going.

Betty rounded the next corner and froze in terror, her eyes going wide. She held out an arm and Alice bumped into it. “Betty, what are--” Alice followed the woman’s gaze and she gasped at what she saw. Through the window to the next room was a figure of ink with visibly rolled up sleeves and boots on its feet. It had what looked to be strands of film coming from its neck and a reel in its shoulder. The strangest and most terrifying part of it was its head. A normal head had been replaced with a projector, and the light that came from the front of it flickered wildly. The figure walked towards a large door and out of the room.

Betty and Alice waited for what felt like hours until they were sure the monster was gone and pushed open the door. It creaked with the slow movement and made the girls cringe. Betty looked to the right as they entered, sighing in relief when she saw that the figure was gone and nothing else was heard. A couple more valve panels were on the walls and Betty and Alice got to work and took their power cores.

As they made their way back to the hall, strange noises could be heard. They sounded like some kind of strained groans and other little grunts. Alice broke into a sweat, recognizing those sounds. Betty looked ahead and saw what looked like disfigured clones of the Butcher Gang making their way down the hall and towards the two girls.

Alice shook her head and closed her eyes, inky tears starting to form. “No, no, I can’t do this again!” she shouted, catching Betty’s attention.

The advisor’s daughter heard her shout and kneeled, putting a hand on the angel’s shoulder. “Alice, remember what Uncle Henry said: these aren’t the cartoons you know. These are just monsters, nothing more. You’re doing this in self defense and you aren’t actually hurting the Butcher Gang. Remember, they’re just clones.”

Alice looked up at the woman as she gazed down at her with furrowed brows and a serious expression. The cartoon looked back at her, before nodding and facing the monsters coming their way.

Betty was the first to attack, dodging a swing from the Charley clone and swinging her plunger into his side. The clone stumbled and the Edgar clone launched his hand forward. Alice easily jumped over it and swung her weapon into its head. A crack was heard and the clone fell limp as a ragdoll. The Barley clone was next to attack, letting its head spin towards Betty and hitting her leg. She made a small, “Oof!” and stumbled to the side. Alice growled in anger before slamming her plunger into the clone’s head and making the string holding it snap. The body reached for up, before going limp as the Edgar clone did.

The Charley clone had recovered and screeched as it hopped towards Alice. However, Betty came up behind it, raising her plunger and slamming it into its head. Alice then gave one more swing for good measure and the body fell to the floor.

The women panted from the fight, watching the Butcher clones to see if there was any movement. All were still and Betty sighed again.

**_“You’re quite the efficient errand boys and girls, aren’t you,”_ ** came the voice of the inky woman.

Betty waited for more, but nothing else came through. She looked to her companion. “C’mon, Alice, let’s get to the elevator and meet up with Boris and Henry.”

Alice nodded and the girls made their way back to the lift.

*****

The power cores were placed in my Betty and she waited to see if the fallen angel had another task for them. Sure enough, her demanding tone came over the speakers again.

**_“See those grinning demons? Let’s remove them, shall we? I’ve got just the tool to make this even more enjoyable.”_ **

This time, the group was presented with axes identical to the one Henry had used to make his way through the first part of the studio. Each of them took one and Boris turned his over a few times. “What does she mean by grinnin’ demons?”

“I think she means the Bendy cutouts, Boris,” Henry answered. “Those are the only thing I can think of.”

“Oh, no.”

All eyes moved to Alice and she shivered in her spot. Betty tilted her head. “What’s wrong, Alice?”

“Bendy hates it when anyone destroys his cutouts. I once got some while testing to see if my powers still worked and he came and cornered me. If it wasn’t for some Searchers distracting him, I wouldn’t have made it out alive.” She shuddered at the memory, clearly feeling the same terror from then now.

Henry frowned and looked up at the Alice head once more. “I don’t think we have a choice, Alice. Just… keep an eye out for Bendy. With all of us going after cutouts as once, he might get confused and might not know where to go. If you see those lines on the walls, hide and wait it out. We’ve got to get this done if we want to get out of here.”

Everyone nodded and headed for the lift again, knowing full well that this was their most dangerous task yet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, looks like there's only a couple more tasks left for the crew! But what awaits them for their last task? Can they keep themselves safe from Bendy? Find out soon! Feel free to leave comments and kudos!


	13. In The Demon's Grasp

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone! Welcome back! This chapter's a little shorter but I had a lot of fun with it! Enjoy!

Henry swung his axe at another Bendy cutout, the cardboard version of the Devil Darling crumbling to the floor. Henry looked over the broken pieces, before continuing down the hall. He had gotten off the elevator after reaching Level K and getting a few cutouts in the halls near the lift. However, “Alice” had not spoke for some time, so he could only assume she wanted more of the cardboard demons destroyed.

Henry had been doing his best to destroy every cutout he could find, and he counted at least six he had taken out. But “Alice” hadn’t said anything like she would after a task was complete.

The former animator stepped through the door to Alice’s room, making his way back into the Heavenly Toys room once more. He took a good look around as he made his way to the middle of the room. The ink seemed to have taken a bit more of the large area, as some more ink splatters were across the walls and some of the furniture and toys. Another Bendy cutout lay against a rail in the middle area, so Henry made his way over to it and smashed it.

It was at that moment that the inky woman finally spoke to the humans and toons again, but her words sent chills down the man’s spine.

**_“Ah, now that was fun! Oh! But I forgot to mention… He hates it when I do that. I would hide if I were any of you.”_ **

Henry’s mind went into fight or flight mode as he looked for any sign of the Ink Demon. Black veins had begun to slowly spread around him and beads of sweat rolled off his forehead. That must have meant Bendy was near. The former animator quickly turned on his heels to see a large pool of ink forming on the door to Alice’s room. “Oh, no,” he said in a fearful whisper. Blue eyes darted around as Henry turned in circles, looking for some kind of way to hide from the monster. Luckily, his gaze landed on a Little Miracle Station and he scrambled inside. He stayed as far back as he could, his gaze on the spot on the door.

A lanky arm with a white glove reached from the inky portal, before a leg came forward, then the creature pulled its whole body out and into the room. There stood Bendy in all his terrifying glory, his mouth set in a deep frown. A loud snarl escaped his lips as he took steps past the toy machine and down the steps into the Heavenly Toys room.

Bendy let out a frustrated huff. He could feel the familiar pang in his chest that indicated that someone was destroying his cutouts once more, but he felt it multiple times in a short time. This could only mean that the humans and toons had split up and were now destroying his cardboard replicas. For what reason, he didn’t know. The Devil Darling had confronted “Alice” about it, but all she did was laugh and shake her head. Bendy was becoming increasingly angry and every time he travelled to where he sensed a cutout was broken, he couldn’t find the destroyer.

The Ink Demon slinked his way down the rails of the room, walking past the Little Miracle Station and into the nearby hallway. Henry, wanting only to get back to his friends and save himself, slammed the door open and practically threw himself out, tripping and falling to the floor.

Bendy’s hunched posture changed to a more alert one when a few noises caught his ear. Sounded like a door opening and something hitting the floor. He stopped for a moment, staying as still as he could.

Henry realized the inky black veins were still around him and he knew he made a mistake. Scrambling to his feet, he tried to make a run for it.

Bendy heard loud footsteps and turned on his heels, seeing a human running towards the stairs to Alice’s room. **_“HEY!”_ ** Bendy screeched. He saw the person look over his shoulder and when he saw the man’s face, a loud wail of anger escaped Bendy’s lips. **_“HHEEEENNNNRRRRYYY!”_ ** Bendy held out his arms and took off in a quick sprint towards his creator, screaming like a wild animal.

Henry began to pant as he tightly clutched his axe, nearly tripping as he made his way through the door the Alice’s room. He slammed the door behind him and kept running, hearing the sounds of crashing wood as Bendy broke the door open. Adrenaline kept a steady flow through his veins with his natural instinct to run kicking in. Henry knew that he couldn’t fight Bendy, he just had to keep running and hope he could shake the Ink Demon off of him.

The sounds of Henry and Bendy running echoed loudly in the hallways as Henry cried out in fear. Bendy screamed again and tried to reach for the human, just unable to get to him. Bendy shook his head and snarled. He shouted in rage, “ **_HENRY! YOU GET BACK HERE NOW, YA COWARD! YA TRAITOR! YA LOW DOWN SCUM OF A CREATOR!”_ **

Henry had no idea what Bendy was talking about, but he felt like something Joey had told Bendy was to blame. The man must have brainwashed the Little Devil Darling somehow and made him think that the former animator was a traitor… or something! Now was not the time to think about that. Now was the time to get away or die.

Henry finally made his way to the railing that lead to the stairs leading to the lift, and he turned to see Bendy hadn’t come around the corner yet. Henry managed to lift his body over the rails and failed his arms as he fell to the floor below. Henry grunted and stumbled when he stood, putting his free hand to his now aching head.

**_“HENRY!”_ **

Henry looked to where the entrance to the elevator was and his heart sank. The door was closed. He forgot they had dropped him off first. He slammed his hand on the door for the elevator and clutched onto his axe.

**_THUMP!_ **

The sudden shaking of the floor and the loud noise had Henry falling backwards. He hit his head hard against the floor and groaned. He closed his eyes, but screamed when he opened them, only to see Bendy towering above him. Henry sat up and scooted backwards, breathing turning rapid for the billionth time. He held his axe close as the demon followed his movements, the former animator’s back hitting another Little Miracle Station in the corner.

Bendy’s deep frown had turned back into its signature grin as the demon chuckled. He took slow steps towards Henry with his hands curling and uncurling. When he was within a foot of the man, he crossed his arms and laughed. His devilish tail swished back and forth and he adjusted his tie.

The human’s blue eyes were filled with terror. The lift was nowhere in sight and now, the demon had cornered him. Bendy had cornered him and there was no way out. Henry looked up into those unseen eyes and gulped.

Bendy crossed his arms again and shook his head. **_“What were you thinkin’, comin’ back down here, old man?”_ ** He made slow circles around Henry, causing the human to turn his head over and over to look at him. **_“Ya abandon Joey for years, abandon the studio for years, and for what? Some gal? YOU LEFT US ALL OUT OF SPITE?! OUT OF YOUR SELFISH WANT TO GET AWAY FROM JOEY?!”_ ** Those last two sentences were yelled out, causing the room the violently shudder. Henry curled up into a ball as he continued to watch Bendy. The Dancing Demon cackled and threw his head back, before taking his white gloved hand and lifting up Henry’s chin. The man winced as he was forced to look into eyes he couldn’t see.

Bendy grinned, forcing his mouth into as wide a smile as he could. He gripped tightly to Henry’s chin. The former animator grasped onto Bendy’s wrists and pulled as hard as could in an attempt to remove the force on his face.

Bendy suddenly removed his hand before wrapping it around Henry’s neck, causing the man to gasp as his air was being cut out. The demon lifted the human up into the air and made him kick to try and escape the grip. The monster only laughed again and squeezed tighter.

Black spots began to form in Henry’s vision like ink splattering across a canvas. He kicked his legs as hard as he could and he pulled and pulled Bendy’s arm to try and remove the force on his windpipe. He wouldn’t go down so easily, he wouldn’t let himself die so easily.

Henry took as good of a breath as he could, before grabbing Bendy’s arm with both hands and pulling up his body enough to land a shoe in the demon’s face.

**_“AAAAUUUGGGHH!”_ ** Bendy screeched and brought both hands to his face, causing Henry to fall to the floor with a thump. The man coughed to try and get oxygen back into his system, but stopped when an animalistic snarl came from Bendy as he held his arms out. **_“HENRY! YOU’RE GONNA PAY FOR THAT!”_ **

Henry got to his feet and jumped back as an arm swatted at him with claws out. He moved into a more defensive stance and took some steps back. He then ran towards the monster, before moving to slide on his side, his weight and speed taking to demon’s legs out from under him. Bendy fell to the floor, face first, and growled as he pushed himself up. Before he could do anything, an axe was slammed into his back, causing an inhuman scream from the top of his lungs to echo through the room.

Henry ripped the axe out of the beast, stepping back and watching as the monster groaned in agony. The hit to his back seemed to have debilitated the ink monster for a bit and now he had a chance at escape.

“Henry, c’mon!”

A shout from his back had to man turning on his heels to the lift. There stood the rest of his group with their hands held out. Henry quickly took Betty’s hand and watched the demon closely after hitting the button for the ninth floor. Bendy tried to get up but was only able to move to his hands and knees as he moaned. The sounds faded away as the elevator slowly descended, the group all watching as Bendy got further and further out of sight.

When they could no longer hear the demon, Betty turned to her figurative uncle and gulped, her hands quivering with her axe in her grip. “Henry… what happened up there? We came to get you and saw Bendy holding you by the neck!”

“I… I don’t know, Betty,” he replied with unsureness. “After ‘Alice’ said to hide, I hid in that Little Miracle Station in the Heavenly Toys room. I left it too early and he chased me to the elevator. I just fought with my instincts kicking in. I… I don’t know what Joey told him, but he told me that I left out of my ‘selfish want to get away from Joey.’” He tapped his chin in thought. “I don’t know what Joey told him, but it looks like he brainwashed him into thinking I betrayed everyone by leaving. At least… that’s what I think.”

Alice looked up with furrowed brows. “Well… I don’t know. That sounds like what happened if that’s what he was saying… but I guess we won’t know unless we stop all this. But, I think ‘Alice’ might have more for us to do.”

Henry nodded in agreement. “Well, once we get all this done, we’re going down there and stopping all of this.”

*****

Bendy groaned once more as he finally managed to get to his feet. He was hunched over with his arms wrapped around his chest, breathing heavy from pain. He managed to look over at the elevator to see it was done, and so was Henry. “Damn it,” he cursed under his breath. His victim had gotten out of his grasp and was now in the angel’s domain once again. He clenched his hands in anger. He almost had him. _Almost had him._ And what did he do? He let him get away.

Bendy growled at himself. He had Henry in his grasp and he let him escape. His own faltering was to blame. He could find fault in no one but himself.

Bendy let a snarl escape his lips. He _would_ get his revenge. He didn’t care who he had to kill to get to Henry, he would get what he wanted. And what he wanted…

Was Henry dead.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, looks like Henry had barely escaped the clutched of Bendy. But what else could "Alice" want them to do? And what's going through Bendy's head? Find out soon! Feel free to leave kudos and comments!


	14. Projecting the Danger

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone! I finally have another chapter today! I had a lot of fun writing this chapter even though it didn't come out exactly how I wanted. Hope you like it, enjoy!

Boris placed the axes into the box near the warehouse entrance. Everyone held their breath, but sighed and groaned when “Alice” spoke to them again.

**_“I hate leaving work unfinished! Fortunately, I have you all to pick up the pieces. But you’ll have to go even deeper. Down, Down, down into the abyss. Take the lift down. Say hello to an old friend and collect some Ink Hearts. Sending you a little present. A little firepower. Take good care of it. It belonged to someone very special.”_ **

The cylinder rotates once more and everyone gasps as their new item is revealed. A tommy gun. It looked almost brand new with the shine that came off of it. Henry gaped in shock. No way that Alice was giving them something this valuable or dangerous. The man took steps towards it and slowly reached for it. Henry took the gun into his hands and examined it. He wasn’t much of a gun man so he couldn’t really tell much about it. 

Alice looked at Henry, before tugging on his sleeve. “Henry, can I see that?”

Henry seemed unsure, but knew he could trust Alice. He carefully handed her the gun and she looked over it as if trying to find something.

Alice nodded after turning to gun so she could see the bottom of the stock. “Yep, this is Sammy’s gun alright.”

Betty looked to her with confusion. “That was Sammy’s?”

A nod was given. “Yep. Sammy got this after a breakin to the studio a few years before the ritual that turned Bendy into a monster. The person who broke in got into his office and was taking stuff from his desk, so Sammy threatened him. When that didn’t work, he tried to fight him. He beat him pretty good and got everything taken back. He got so paranoid that he went and got this baby. It’s a M1921 model. They don’t make them like this anymore.” She pulled part of the gun back and held the stock tightly. 

Henry looked at her with a hand on her hip and the other holding the gun with it pointing upwards. She looked like she meant business. “Well, if we’re heading down with that thing, I think Alice should be the one to carry it. She seems like she knows how to use it.” 

Alice looked up to see everyone nodding in agreement. She blushed a bit. “Well… I guess I could. I only know about guns because of Sammy. But I know how to handle this thing.” 

Boris nodded and put his hands together. “Alright, y’all. We gotta get going. The sooner we get this done, the sooner we can be freed.”

Betty nodded. “Hey, ‘Alice!’” she shouted to the head above the doorway. “What floor are we supposed to go to!?”

**_“Level 14.”_ **

*****

The elevator dinged once more and Henry led the way as everyone stepped out. The area around the elevator was small, and it had stairs leading downwards. From the high structure in the middle of the room, they could see an ocean of ink surrounding them. Henry squinted. It was quiet. Too quiet. It couldn’t be that easy. There had to be something that would make this difficult.

A flickering light suddenly caught everyone’s eyes and they all looked to see a figure stumble from a doorway. Betty and Alice gasped and Henry turned to ask why. He was interrupted by “Alice’s” voice coming over the speakers once more. 

**_“Shhhh… there he is. The Projectionist. Skulking in the darkness. You be sure to stay out of his light, if you don’t want trouble. Just bring me back the pieces I need.”_ **

When she was finished, the former animator looked to Betty, who had Alice in her arms. Alice was clutching to the tommy gun as if it was her lifeline. “Alice, Betty, what’s wrong?”

Betty looked to Henry with a small frown. “When we--we were… collecting the power cores… he was in a room we were heading into. The Projectionist was. He was in there, just walking out of a door. It scared us both to death.”

Henry looked to where the creature now was, walking into another doorway and paying no mind to them. He watched the movement and looked over the monster. Why did something seem so familiar about it? Something about its height and stance was god awfully familiar. Henry shook his head. No time to think about that. He could think on it later.

He turned his head to look at the others with his hands on the rails in front of him. “Well…” he started. “We shouldn’t split up this time. I don’t think so. With only one of us with a weapon, if we’re split and someone gets into trouble, that could prove fatal. I say we stick together and look for the Hearts. Alice, keep that gun close, you never know when we could need it.” 

The other seemed nervous, but nodded and followed the man down the stairs. But not before Alice spotted an Ink Heart lying in the hand of a dead Edgar clone and took it. She informed the group of her find and they continued onwards, into one of the doorways.

A maze stood before them with projectors running and showing Bendy cartoons as they took twists and turns in the halls. Dead clones of the Butcher Gang lay in the corners and the darkness through most of the areas was unnerving. As they walked through the ink on the floor, everyone kept turning their heads, being on the lookout for any of those Ink Hearts. They were all scared to their very cores as they knew that at any moment, the monster that roamed these halls could be around the corner. All of their hearts beat rapidly and they took cautious steps together. 

*****

Henry scooped up the last Ink Heart they needed and looked to his friends. They were all drenched in ink up to their knees and they all looked so tired. 

The monster had nearly seen them several times as they walked through the maze, collecting the Hearts and wading through ink. The Projectionist was very loud and that was probably the only reason they hadn’t been seen by him. The Hearts were hard to spot, but once someone did, they had to pry out of the hands of the Butcher clones.

The last heart was given to Alice, who placed it in a basket she had made from ink. The voice of the taller angel came over the speakers once again.

**_“Tell me, were they still writing in your hands? Bring them to me, now! I don’t like to wait.”_ **

Betty nodded and sighed a shaky sigh. “Alright, guys, let’s get--”

**_SCCREEEEEEEECCCHHHH!_ **

A sudden loud and strained scream had the group jumping in their skin and they all turned to see the Projectionist down the hall, heading for them at a quick gait. Everyone screamed and turned the other way, before taking off into a sprint. Their screams and footsteps echoed down the halls as they ran for their lives, the camera headed monster nearly catching up to Boris and almost grabbing him. Boris realized how close he was and quickened his pace. This is not how they would die! Not like this!

Henry looked behind him, before whipping his head to in front of him again and seeing the entrance coming up fast. “There’s the entrance! C’mon, guys, we can do this!”

“DAD!”

Henry turned to see Boris had stopped running and was now being pulled away by his tail. He struggled to get free but one good yank from the Projectionist had him crying out and giving up his attempts to get out of the tight grasp.

Henry’s mind went into flight or fight mode and without even thinking, he ran towards the creature and reeled back and arm. Closing the distance, he threw his fist out and landed it right on the beast’s shoulder. Bright lights flashed in Henry’s face as the Projectionist turned to look at him. If the monster had a face, surely he would have been furious with the man’s actions. He reached out and grabbed Henry by the collar. 

Alice gasped and shouted, “Henry! Boris!” Her mind went into panic mode and she looked around rapidly to find something,  _ anything, _ to help her creator and friend and get them out of the monster’s clutches. This thing had to be ten times stronger than her and her powers might not do much against it. Then she remembered: the tommy gun. 

Taking the gun from a makeshift strap on her back, Alice quickly aimed. The monster kept moving his head and she nearly fired when Boris was in the way. Her arms began to shake, if this thing didn’t hold still, she was going to fire upon one of her friends. Alice shook her head, taking a deep breath in, then exhaling slowly. She aimed again, taking in the movements in front of her. Time seemed to slow as her friends cried out and the monster growled. She closed her eyes, then pulled the trigger.

**_SCCREEEEEEEEECCCCHHHHH!_ **

The Projectionist brought his hands up to the camera front and dropped Henry and Boris, swinging his head around and screaming from the speaker on his chest. Henry and Boris scrambled to their feet and watched the monster, before running so they were with Betty, standing behind Alice. She took a few steps forward with the gun in her hands, her face filled with anger and determination. 

The camera headed monster looked to the angel, shrieking in anger and charging towards her. Alice opened fire again and aimed for the the chest, busting the speaker and beginning to make the beast stumble back. The Projectionist attempted to charge again but Alice fired again and made him stumble once more. When a clicking resonated from the gun, Alice quickly took the drum out and made it float above her. A hand was raised and inky blobs floated into the air, only to take the shape of bullets and load themselves into the drum. Once it was full, she fired again and again, repeating the process until the Projectionist was down on one knee.

The monster made a motion as if panting from exhaustion and pain. Ink dripped from its chest and head and it made small, muffled cries like a person in agony.

Alice took slow steps towards the monster, holding her gun close and pulling back the mechanism on the top of the gun. She glared at the beast, she was beyond angry at this monster for trying to hurt her and her friends. She wouldn’t let this monster get away, she would show no mercy.

The Projectionist looked up to see Alice walking towards him and he attempted to scream, making a dampened noise and holding out his hands. He stood despite his weakness and slowly backed away. His back hit a wall within only a few moments and he began to rip at the camera on his neck, as if trying to break it open. 

Alice growled and aimed her gun, preparing to fire again. 

The monster suddenly began to slam his head against the nearest wall, cracking the metal of the camera. Alice paid no attention to this and fired a shot into his head. 

A loud cracking noise radiated throughout the hall, before a loud medley of screams came forth, making Alice and the others jump back. A bright light beamed from where the head of the Projectionist was as the screams get louder. The beast’s hands stiffened outwards and he stood in place. Then, everything went quiet and still in one instant. The Projectionist stood still as the light faded, before falling backwards into the ink. 

Everyone ran watched the ink of the once powerful monster begin to fall away. Henry, Betty, Alice, and Boris watched closely for any movement, seeing ink rapidly drip from his form. Henry’s eyes widened when he noticed something: the ink was melting away from his form to reveal a human body. Henry ran towards to beast and stopped a foot away from him. The reel had fallen off his shoulder and the camera was barely holding together. Instead of a inky body like Sammy, the dark liquid had fallen away to reveal brown dress shoes, gray dress pants, and a mint green sweater underneath, all covered in splotches of ink.

Henry gasped in a sharp breath. It couldn’t be. It couldn’t. He had to be dead by now! Shouldn’t he? Still, he had to be sure. Henry got onto one knee, fitting his fingers into the crack in the camera. He grunted as he slowly pulled it apart, before falling back as the metal came completely apart. The former animator heard a groan and watched the monster slowly push himself up. He began to move and fell a couple of time before finally sitting up. The person swayed his head back and forth slowly, putting a hand to his forehead.

When the person finally looked in the direction of Henry, he groaned and tried to speak. Henry gasped again. 

Before him sat none other than…

Norman Polk.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's Norman! He's alive! The question is, does he remember anything? And what awaits the crew when they return to "Alice?" Stay tuned and find out! Feel free to leave comments and kudos!


	15. Ascend and Descend

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone! I have a new chapter today! This one was super fun to write! Hope you enjoy!  
> Also! If you want to check out more of my AU, they have a blog on Tumblr! It's bendydrewstudios! I mostly post doodles from the AU after this story there, and the occasional fanart for others!  
> Enough of my chatter, let's get to it!

Everything was foggy. Sounds and voices were muffled and his vision was blurry. He was light headed and aching all over. It was like someone had just slammed him into a wall over and over. A distant voice called to him and his shoulder now had a hand on it. He squinted as the person came into some focus. He wore a black bow tie, crisp white dress shirt, tan pants and black dress shoes. He had brown hair with streaks of gray near his temples, and he could see very bright blue eyes gazing at him. 

Henry watched the man on the floor put a hand to his aching cranium, shaking his head and tightly shutting his eyes. The man couldn’t imagine what Norman was going through right now. He could tell the man was in pain, but how much, he didn’t know. Henry noticed that Norman was looking at him with squinted eyes, as if he couldn’t see. He realized that the man’s glasses were missing. 

Henry turned to Alice. “Alice, can you try to find his glasses?” A nod was given and Henry turned back, only for a hand to be put on his own shoulder. He looked at Norman again.

The projectionist moved his hands up to the face of the person in front of him, feeling his features and trying to see better. When that didn’t work, he let his arms fall to his sides again. His voice cracked and sounded quite scratchy as he managed to get a few words out. “W...Who--Who are… are you?”

Alice, who had been digging around in the ink where Norman had fallen, made a small noise and pulled her hands out, revealing a pair of round black glasses. She wiped them off on the edge of her dress, before handing them to Henry. The former animator slowly placed them on Norman’s face and waited.

Norman blinked rapidly as he was able to see again, and he looked to his right and left. On one side of him was a tall cartoon wolf and on the other was a young woman and a shorter cartoon. Wait--a wolf?! A young lady and a little angel?! His voice was strained from no use for so long, but Norman managed to say, “Boris?! Betty?! Alice?!”

The three who were called looked at each other and realized that Norman recognized them. Betty gave a small wave. “Hey, Norman.”

The projectionist looked in front of him, now noticing the man sitting in front of him. He took a moment to look him over, before gasping. “H--Hen--Henry?!”

Henry looked a little shocked that his former co-worker recognized him, but smiled softly. “Hey, old friend.”

Henry nearly fell over when Norman suddenly leaned forward and wrapped his arms around the former animator. He stayed there with his body suddenly beginning to shake and sniffles coming through. Henry, unsure what to do, slowly wrapped his arms around the other man and patted his back. 

Norman stayed in Henry’s arms, before putting his hands on his arms and shaking him. “Henry--Henry, you--you… came back! Henry, we all missed you--and--and I just--you need to get out of here! Everything’s gone to hell! Joey used some kind of dark magic--and he--he--everything’s gone to hell and back! You all need to get out of here!”

Norman was obviously panicking, his breathing was rapid and he was looking around with fear in his brown eyes. Henry and Betty frowned and the man knew he had to calm Norman. He gently pulled his arms back and took one of the other man’s hands in his. “Norman… Norman… look at me. You’re safe with us. Nothing is going to hurt you. You’re free now. You just need to take some deep breaths and try to calm yourself, okay?”

It took a few minutes but his soothing words seemed to work, the projectionist slowing his breaths and closing his eyes. He eventually was sitting in that spot, looking down at his lap. The fear he had suddenly felt had taken a lot out of him. 

Betty and Alice scooted a little closer and Boris clasped his hands together as Norman finally looked up. He looked at everyone with very tired eyes and asked in a soft voice, “What happened? How did you all get here? Where is everybody? And what happened to Bendy and Joey?”

Henry sighed and put a hand on Norman’s shoulder. “It’s… a long story, Norman. Some of which you might have to tell. Let’s get you out of here first.”

*****

“So… the last thing I remember is being nearly drowned in the ink. It was suffocating and pulled down on me. It was too much. Everything went black after that. And then, I woke up and saw you all.”

Henry nodded as Norman finished telling his part of the story of what happened in the studio, the man taking a spoonful of bacon soup and eating it.

After getting Norman cleaned up the best they could, they had gone into the elevator, up to level P. Alice and Boris found a blanket and some soup and had made some for the projectionist and all of their group. They had decided to take some time to rest and recover before returning to “Alice,” and some time to piece together what had happened to Norman and the others. 

Betty, who had been listening intently to what Norman told them, put her hands together, both pointer fingers in his direction. “Let me get this straight, Norm: A little after the ritual, you got a letter calling you back here, like the one Uncle Henry got. You did as Joey asked in the letter and came back here and found Joey. He led you to the ritual room… and turned you into a monster?”

Norman gave a small nod. “It was stupid, I know, but I thought Joey had finally gotten it together and everything could go back to normal. I should’ve known from that look in his eyes that he was still under the control of whatever dark magic he used.”

Henry looked down at his bowl of soup, seeing his reflection in the dark liquid. He was lucky that he hadn’t suffered the same fate when he had entered the studio, though he had a feeling that that was what Joey intended for him. Henry looked up from his bowl and at Norman. The man was still shaky, but seems as though he was in fair condition given his circumstances. Henry shifted in his spot. “So… what did Joey tell you?”

“He said nice things to me and seemed so happy to see me, like before he went crazy,” Norman answered. “He told me he was sorry for everything that happened, said that everything would be better and told me he needed help cleaning some stuff up. That was when he led me to the ritual room and turned me into… that thing. What… did I look like?”

Boris was the one to answer. “You were covered in ink, but you could the shape of your sleeves and pants. And you had a reel in your shoulder and some film coming from the back of your head. And your head… was inside a projector.”

The projectionist seemed to be in shock, his eyes wide and mouth slightly agape. He shook his head and smiled softly. “Well, I’m just glad you guys got me out of there. How long have I been down there?”

“What year did you get the letter, Norman,” asked Alice. 

“Umm… about… 1965.”

Henry’s eyes went wide. “Norman, it’s 1969. You were down there for four years.”

“Oh… oh my god…” Norman seemed to be in shock and some disbelief. He sat there thinking for a moment, before he asked, “Do… do y’all think… Joey is still here?”

The thought had struck them all a few times. Joey had likely used some kind of magic for all this, and there was the possibility that it had kept him from aging. None of them really knew how this stuff worked but they could make guesses. 

After those moments of thought, Betty spoke up. “Honestly… I think Joey is still here. Part of me had doubt, but part of me thinks he used his magic to make himself immortal. I don’t know for sure, but if he is here, that means we’ll have to get through him to get to that pentagram.”

Henry nodded. “He’s likely still being controlled by all that dark magic… so he’ll probably try to stop us getting to the pentagram. But I know Joey. If I can’t stop him, then I have an idea of how to beat him.” The former animator stood and looked around at all his friends. “Before we do any of that, we gotta get these Ink Hearts back to ‘Alice.’ I highly doubt she’ll let us go unless we deliver these to her. Norman, do you think you’re in good enough condition to come with us?”

Norman thought for a moment, before nodding and shakily standing. He lightly clenched his hands. “If going with you means stoppin’ Joey, than I’m more than ready to go.”

Henry nodded back. “Alright, let’s move.”

*****

The last of the hearts were placed into the box on Level 9, Norman stepping back as he looked up at the Alice Angel head above the entrance. They all waited with held breath for the next set of orders. However, orders didn’t come forth, but other words. 

**_“It seems we’ve reached the end of my to-do list, my little errand boys and girls. I hope you enjoyed our time together. I’ll always treasure it. Return to the lift. It’s time to go home.”_ **

Henry got glances from all the others and he gestured to the lift. “Don’t worry, we’ll find another way down. We’re free now, so I think we can find a way down without worrying about her.” When he got nods from everyone, Henry led the way, back across the bridge and up the stairs to the lift. Everyone stepped inside, Alice and Boris helping Norman since he was still a little wobbly. 

As soon as everyone was in, the elevator began to move on its own as if controlled by someone. Henry looked at the buttons and went to push one, until “Alice” began to coo in a familiar voice. 

**_“Have you ever wondered what Heaven is like? I like to dream that it’s quite beautiful. A soft valley of green grass, blanketed by a warm sun. I don’t think I’ll ever get to see it. Are you ready to ascend, my little errand boys and girls? The Heavens are waiting.”_ **

It was then that the inky woman begin to sob and that made Henry and the others gaze at the elevator floor with deep frowns. Was she really going to miss them? Had she been telling the truth about treasuring her time with them doing chores for her?

However, those thoughts were dashed into the ground when the sad sobs turned into twisted laughter. The group looked confused and did more so when the elevator began to slow. “Uh oh…” Alice spoke quietly.

Henry turned to her as the laughter got louder. “What?”

“Henry, I think we should--”

Screams of horror ran through the air when the elevator dropped and began to fall, the walls and floors flashing by as blurs of white and black and that sepia color that most of the wood had become. Everyone looked around in panic, Betty and Alice still screaming as sparks flew from the corners of the lift. A loud screech of anger came through the noise.

**_“Did you really think I’d let you steal from me?! Did you really think I’d just let you all go!? No, Henry and Betty! I know who you are! And I know why you’re here! And you will not stop what needs to be done! Now come down, and bring me back my Boris!”_ **

Everyone turned to said wolf, who was crying out with his hands thrown over his head. Alice was hanging on to him and screaming with tears running down her face.

**_“It’s the most perfect Boris I’ve ever seen, and I want it! I need it! And you! You wretched little angel!”_ **

Alice looked up in terror, her eyes filled to the brim as “Alice” screeched again.

**_“You think you can just waltz in here and pretend to be the perfect one?! You think you can show me up like that and be more perfect than I am?! No, Alice! You don’t deserve to be so perfect! I’m the deserving one, and I will NOT let you get away with this! Now get down here, and bring them both to me! I need their insides, so I can be beautiful again! Don’t you get it?! Give them to me!”_ **

Henry managed to find his voice and shouted in anger and fear, “We’re not going to give you Alice and Boris! They’re our friends and they deserve to live where they don’t need to be in fear! You can go to hell if you want to take them!”

**_“Then I’ll take them! Once… you’re… dead!”_ **

Henry quickly held onto his friends and they huddled together, screaming as the elevator dropped down, down, down. The last thing Henry remembers before he blacked out was a loud crash and his head hitting hard metal as everyone screamed.

*****

“Dad? Dad? C’mon, Dad, wake up! Please!”

Henry could feel two cool hands on his face as he returned to reality. His eyes fluttered open, but everything was blurry.

Everything hurt, and it hurt so badly.

Henry’s whole body felt as though he had been thrown against a wall and stomped into the ground. His body aches and burns and every joint felt like it had exploded from overuse. His heart strained to pump in his chest and he thought for sure he was going to have a heart attack. 

Henry managed to open his eyes again to see a shape he could only recognize as Boris, another shape he recognized as Alice behind him. Boris was shaking him slightly and trying to get him to wake up. 

Boris and Alice’s voices cut through the haze. 

“Dad! C’mon! You can’t die! Please, stay awake!”

“Henry, c’mon! You’re gonna be okay! Just please wake up!”

A familiar humming came from down the hall behind Boris and Alice. Henry moved his eyes to the space between them. The lights in the hall flickered wildly, but through his blurry vision, he can see the shape of a tall woman with horns and a halo, slowly walking towards them. 

Henry tries to speak but only gives a strangled noise. His voice was destroyed from screaming in the lift and he was only able to give small noises, as if to warn the toons.

“Dad, what is it?”

“Henry, what’s--”

The lights went out for a second, a scream ringing through the air as they came back to life, only to show Boris and Alice being dragged into the hallway and into the darkness. 

Henry reached a shaking hand out, before it fell. 

Then, he passed out, his tired body lulling him into unconsciousness. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uh oh! Looks like Boris and Alice are in trouble! Can Henry, Betty, and Norman save them? Or will "Alice" make them meet their match? Find out soon!  
> Feel free to leave kudos and comments!


	16. Visions in the Archives

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone! I have a new chapter today and I had lots of fun with this one. It's a little rushed but only because I've been doing other stuff lately. Anyway, hope you like it!

_ “Alright, Joey. I’m here. Let’s see if we can find what you wanted me to see.”  _

*****

Henry’s eyes fluttered open as he groaned in pain. His whole body ached and every muscle was crying out for him to slip back into unconsciousness so he wouldn’t have to deal with this agony. Still, he managed to push himself up from the wreckage of the elevator and hold his head.

Then it hit him.

“Alice” had taken the cartoons.

Henry’s eyes went wide and he made an attempt to stand, only to fall back into his place. He grunted and shook his head. Boris and Alice had been taken by the malformed angel so she could use their bodies for herself. And now they were… god knows where. 

Henry looked around. The elevator had been destroyed in the crash to the floor they were now at and it lay in shambles. Sparks flew from what was left of it. A few feet away lay Betty, and next to her was Norman. They were both out cold, both of them with scratches and bruises from the elevator fall. 

Henry tried again to move, going more slowly and rolling onto his hands and knees. His breathing was slightly labored and his head ached so badly. Still, he managed to get onto his feet with wobbling legs. He managed to get to where Betty lay and dropped to his knees in front of her. Her breathing was shallow. That wasn’t a good sign. Putting his hands on her shoulders, Henry began to lightly shake her, trying to wake her up. “B--Be--Betty,” he rasped out. 

It took a little more shaking, but soon enough, her lids slowly lifted. Everything was hazy and the advisor’s daughter couldn’t remember where she was. She lifted a hand to her head. What happened? Last thing she remembered was the screaming and the lift falling while the fallen angel screamed at them. She remembered huddling together with the others and then everything went black.

“Betty?”

Her eyes moved up and she saw a blurry form she recognized as Henry in front of her. She groaned and sat up slowly, Henry being sure to help her. The advisor’s daughter cleared her aching throat, before asking in a soft voice, “Henry… is… is--that you?”

“Yes, it’s me.” He looked over her, taking one of her hands. “How are you feeling?”

She chuckled, but winced from the pain in her throat. “I’ve been better. I’m sore all over.” She looked behind her at the wreckage of the elevator. Her eyes widened a bit, before she turned to Henry again. “How long have we been down here?”

A shake of the head was given. “I have no idea, Betty. We fell and… did you see what happened?”

“What do you mean?”

“Alice and Boris got taken by… by ‘Alice.’”

Betty jolted up, regretting doing so when her body cried for rest again. She leaned back and looked at the former animator with furrowed brows. “What?!”

He nodded. “Boris was trying to keep me awake, and Alice was right behind him. I saw… I saw a lady with horns and a halo behind them and everything went dark. The lights went on just in time for me to see them get taken.”

“Well, we’ve gotta go find them!” Betty tried again to stand, but fell back with a soft cry of pain.

Henry put a hand on her shoulder. “Betty, we’re not in any condition to go anywhere right now.”

Another moan caught their ears and they turned to see Norman was now awake, his eyes clenched shut as he hissed in pain. He managed to sit up on his own, patting around for something. Betty, noticing his glasses were missing again, looked around to see them near a wall. “Norm, your glasses are to your right.”

The voice he heard was slightly muffled, but Norman heard and was able to find them. Once they were on his face, he looked in the direction of Henry. “Henry… is that you?”

“Yeah. Are you okay, Norman?”

“Ugh… my head hurts. Guess we must have hit the ground pretty hard. What happened?”

“Boris and Alice were taken away!” Betty shouted. 

“Wait… what?!”

“Uncle Henry said he saw that--that--I don’t even know what to call her--take Alice and Boris!”

Norman was still very weak and shaky, but he tried to stand, getting onto one knee. “Well, we gotta go get ‘em! Who knows what she’s doin’ to ‘em!”

“Hold on, guys,” Henry said with patience in his voice. “I don’t think we’re in any condition to go anywhere right now. Look at us. That fall banged us up pretty bad.”

“But--but Henry!” Betty sputtered. “If we don’t get moving, ‘Alice’ is gonna… do something to them!”

“Betty, listen to me.”

“I’m… I’m listening.”

Henry sat cross legged in front of her despite his body protesting against it. “We should stay here and rest for a little more. At least until we’re feeling a little better. If we try to go after her in this condition, there’s no doubt she’ll have the advantage and we’ll be at her mercy.” 

Betty and Norman looked at each other, thinking. After a minute or two, Betty nodded. “Okay, we’ll rest.”

*****

The next hours were spent with the three humans lying on the floor near the elevator, talking and drifting in and out of sleep. Whenever they needed rest, at least one of them would stay up as a lookout until another woke up. Whenever they were all awake, they would talk about their lives before all this inky madness. Seems everyone had been doing well in their time away from Joey Drew Studios. 

It was after almost a day that Henry felt like he was ready, as did his friends. They all began to move out, slowly making their way down the hall in front of the lift. 

The lights flickered with loud buzzes, but there was just enough light to reveal the sign pointing to where the lift had dropped to. Level S. To their right was the office of Grant Cohen, Betty’s father, and to the left was the entrance to the archives of the studio. The trio decided to check Grant’s office for anything useful first. Henry led the way, opening the door with a gasp following. 

The walls of the financial advisor’s office were scrawled with words and numbers in ink, as if someone had written them in a crazed frenzy. The words and numbers covered almost everything except for a desk with an audio tape sitting on it. 

Betty and Norman were already unnerved by what they saw, but chills were running down Henry’s spine. He could hear something. It was like… voices of lost souls were whispering into his ears, begging for freedom from their prison. He began to sweat as he picked up the audio tape and hit play. 

The sounds of indecipherable shouts came forth, making everyone jump in their places. There was shouting, splashing, something breaking, before a groan of pain ended the tape. Norman looked at Henry with great fright, but Betty’s brows furrowed in anger. “What the hell did he do to Dad?! I swear, if he did anything to my father in here, when I see him, I’m gonna punch him square in the nose!”

Henry held up a hand. “Betty, try to stay calm. We don’t know what happened to everyone else yet. They could be okay, and I’m sure if they’re monsters, like Norman here was, we can fix them somehow.”

The advisor’s daughter nodded. “Alright. We should head to the archives. I think there might be a way to the higher floors somewhere in there.” 

With Betty in the lead, the group made their way to the door and worked together to pull it open. The sight inside made Henry’s jaw drop. Before them was a desk with a large statue of Bendy behind it, above it hung a banner with the words, “ **HE WILL SET US FREE** ” with a few inky figures in various poses on the desk. Around them, the walls were circular, lined with bookshelves filled to the brim. There were a few papers on the floor and some stray crates were scattered around, but this place looked to be untouched for quite some time. As they stepped into the archives, their footsteps creaked against the floor and Henry looked around with awe. 

“I don’t remember this,” Henry murmured. Just how much had Joey expanded this studio since he left? He never would have imagined something like this. Then again, who knows what changes Joey had made to the place in his madness?

“Yeah, Joey added this in his expansions to the studio while you were away,” Norman replied, making the former animator turn to look at him. 

“Well, we probably should get out of her and into the next part. This place is giving me the creeps,” Betty stated with a shiver. 

As they made their way to the other room in the archives, around the shelves in the center, Henry thought he heard something behind them. When he turned to look over his shoulder, he could see… wait, where did those ink statues go? The ones on the desk?

“Henry?”

Taking his attention away from behind him, he looked ahead to see a large door with a few unlit bulbs above it. The label on the door marked it as a private room. However, there could be a way to get back up through there. Henry tried turning the wheel on the door, but it didn’t budge. “It’s stuck pretty tight. How do we get it open?”

“I… y’know, I can’t remember,” Norman declared as he leaned against one shelf, pushing a book into its spot. One of the lights above the door flickered on and Betty and Henry looked at the projectionist. He looked to the book he pushed in. “Huh, so that’s how to open it. Looks like we gotta find some loose books. We should split up.”

Everyone scattered and began to look around, calling to each other when they found a book and pushed it in. When there was only one book left to find, Henry was inside the inner circle of shelves, looking high and low. He climbed onto the table in the center, seeing if one of the higher shelves held the book. Nothing. Frowning, he climbed down and spotted what he was looking for. Henry kneeled and pushed the book into place.

Loud, shrill voices suddenly screeched in his ears and his vision went into an orange haze. Henry jumped and covered his ears as the voices screamed at him, papers flying from the shelves and safe doors swinging wildly. 

**_“YOU ABANDONED US!”_ **

**_“YOU LEFT US AT JOEY’S MERCY, HENRY!”_ **

**_“FREE US!”_ **

**_“HELP ME!”_ **

**_“PLEASE! WHAT DID I DO WRONG?!”_ **

Henry couldn’t take the sudden sharp pain in his skull and the shouts made it worse. He screamed out loud, before everything went silent, his hands still on his ears and his blue eyes slowly opening. Everything looked the way it had been before the screams and the orange haze. He panted and kept his hands close to his chest. What… the hell was that?

“Henry, are you okay?!”

He turned in Norman’s direction and hesitated. “...Um, yeah, I’m good. Is the door open?”

“Yeah, c’mon, we gotta get goin’!”

Henry made his way to the door with Betty following and Norman pushing it open. The stepped through and Henry’s jaw dropped again.

They were underground now, walls of rock littered with plants and Bendy cutouts lining the cracks and holes in the walls. Cages hung from chains leading high above their heads and a small part of what was once a bridge was sticking out from a nearby ledge. Lanterns hung from the walls, up a set of stairs and to the area where the bridge was. A couple of large holes let ink drip through like a waterfall.The feeling Henry got from being in here was… unpleasant, to say the least. “Geez, how far down did Joey dig?”

“I… I don’t know, Henry, but however far down he went, he obviously was tryin’ to hide somethin’. Somethin’ bad.”

Betty pointed to a door on the other side of where the bridge was. “Well, I think there is our best bet right now. I think that leads to a higher level in the studio. My guess is that ‘Alice’ took Boris and Alice up to her warehouse, so we need to get back up there.”

The trio made their way up the steps to the remains of the bridge, Norman pulling the lever and causing something to move. They noticed a large wooden box was now moving towards them on a cable. When it stopped in front of them, Henry was the first to climb in. Betty and Norman followed and they were off, slowly but surely.

As the box moved, Betty tapped Henry’s shoulder. “Henry?”

“Yes?”

“What was that scream for in the archives? We thought you got hurt.”

Henry turned away, blue eyes half lidded in thought. He didn’t want to tell the others of his strange vision, but he wasn’t even sure if what he saw was just in his head. It was likely all the times he had been hit down here kicking in. Maybe he should tell his friends. “Well--”

The box suddenly jerked to a stop and began to shake, and everyone huddled close as they prepared for anything. They looked around as the shaking became more violent. Everyone shut their eyes, waiting for the box to fall, taking them to their deaths.

However, death never came and they were once again moving across the chasm, towards the other side. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief once they were all to the other side and out of the box. They made their way to the door and pushed it open, seeing wooden walls with gaps between and tracks along the floor. Betty led, than Norman, than Henry, who shut the door behind them. 

The hallway was quiet, save for the dripping of ink and the creaks from their steps as they made their way down the corridor. Everything was torn or broken on the walls and there were lots of gaps. Betty and Norman seemed unfazed, but Henry was slightly more cautious. He still didn’t know what happened in the archives, but he didn’t want it to happen again. They reached the halfway point…

The shrill and pained wails began again and Henry stopped, covering his ears again to try and block them out. However, they just shrieked louder and he cried out in pain, throwing his head back

Betty and Norman heard the cry and turned to look at Henry, the woman gasping when she saw him doubled over, before he threw his head back. He hunched over again, covering his ears and clenching his eyes shut. “Henry!” shouted Norman, rushing to his side. “Henry, what’s wrong?!”

There were so many mournful screams that Henry didn’t hear the projectionist and he just whipped his head around to try and get them to go away. Henry cried out again with hot tears starting to form in the corners of his blue orbs. It was too much. Too much at once. Henry wanted to pass out but managed to look up, only to see inky arms reaching from the walls towards him. The voices seemed to belong to whoever these arms did, because they were so loud. He closed his eyes again and in an instant, everything went quiet again.

The former animator stood alertly, looking around. There were no more arms. No more voices. Everything was quiet, save for his own heavy breathing. He felt something on his shoulder and noticed Norman next to him, Betty being a few feet ahead of him.

Norman gazed at Henry with concern, asking, “Henry… what happened?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Looks like poor Henry's mental state isn't too good right now. What were those visions? And where could Alice and Boris be? Find out soon!  
> If you enjoy my BATIM interpretations, they have a blog that takes place after this story, bendydrewstudios on tumblr!   
> Feel free to leave Kudos and comments!


	17. He Will Set Them Free

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, everyone! Woo, I am on a roll lately! Got this chapter done in three days and it was so fun to write!  
> Hope you enjoy!

Henry looked at Norman with blue eyes brimming with tears. He knew that the projectionist was waiting for an answer, but he honestly didn’t have one. He didn’t know what was causing these visions. He had had nightmares for a while after coming home from the war, but he hadn’t ever had any visions like that. The former animator was unsure what to tell Betty and Norman.

“I… I don’t know… I saw something,” Henry finally answered.

Betty knitted her brows, frowning. “What do you mean, Uncle Henry?”

“I… I had some kind of vision… I saw… everything had an orange tint over it, and there were some kind of ink covered arms coming from the walls. And there were screams, loud, horrible screams of pain.” He fixed his slightly crooked bowtie and straightened himself. “I… I don’t know, guys. I’ve never had visions like that. It scared the hell out of me.”

“Is that why you screamed in the archives,” asked Norman. “Because of a vision?”

Henry nodded softly.

Betty and Norman shared a glance. Henry had been in this studio for some time, so it must be taking a toll on his mental health. Plus, with Joey’s magic use, the dark forces in the place could be affecting his mind. Betty walked over and placed her hands on Henry’s shoulders. “Uncle Henry… I don’t know why you’re having these visions, but we’ll help you if anymore come. We’ll stay close by you. We won’t let anything hurt you, okay? And just try to remember, they’re not real. You’re okay and they’re not real.”

Henry looked into those deep brown eyes with a small frown, before he nodded in understanding. “Okay. We should keep moving. We need to find a way up so we can get Alice and Boris back.”

“Then let’s move.”

Henry led the way this time, Betty and Norman close behind as the corridor came to an end. As they pushed open the door and came into a towering staircase, a familiar voice made them all jump.

**_“I see you there, my little errand boys and girl. Your angel is always watching. What is it that keeps you going? Is it the thrill of the hunt? The thirst for your freedom? Or perhaps… you’re just looking for a little, friendly wolf and angel. Better hurry, Errand boys and girl. Boris and Alice are having trouble staying in one piece.”_ **

Henry gasped and looked up and around like he was trying to find “Alice.” “No! Don’t you dare touch them!” He looked to his right to see the staircase begin its ascent. He began the climb with his friend following, looking around at all the posters and beams supporting the staircase.

When they reached the top, Henry noticed they were at a small area that looked like a parlor of some sorts. There was a couch, record player, and even a Little Miracle Station.

The trio stepped forward, stopping when sobs and whimpers of sadness came from a balcony above the next door. An inky figure with bright orange eyes seemed to limp to where he was fully in view and he practically wailed his words out.

**_“He… he’s going to find me. He always find me. Oh no! I--I just wanna go home! When do we go home? When do we go home?!”_ **

Henry, Betty, and Norman watched the inky figure walk away with noises of distress. Something about that voice… it was familiar, like… like one of the old employees of the studio. But, surely everyone had gone when Joey performed the ritual and turned the studio into a hell hole… at least… that’s what they thought.

Henry pushed open the next door once they reached it. A collective gasp escaped everyone’s throats.

The room was large with an open vent at the end. The words, **“NO ANGELS”** were scrawled on the wall at the end of the room. But surrounding them on all sides were inky figures with bright orange eyes, their words mournful and their faces in despair. They murmured among themselves as the three entered the room. A few were in the corners but most of them were in a tight circle around Henry, Betty, and Norman.

Henry looked at his friends with deep concern. These all must have been employees of the studio who had come back. They all must have been turned, just as Norman had, and were now forced to wander the halls of the studio, constantly in fear of Bendy.

Henry stepped forward as one of the inky figures came forth, standing shorter than the tall Henry. The ink person put their hands together, before asking in a fearful voice, “Who… who--are you? You don’t… you don’t work for Joey, do you?”

A shake of the head was given in response. “No, we’re actually looking for Joey. We’re here to stop him, and save everyone from the madness he’s brought upon himself.”

The volume of the murmuring increased and it became quicker at Henry’s words. The inky figure who had spoken to him looked up with bright eye. “Wait… are you… Henry?”

Betty and Norman could feel the tension in the short silence that followed. The man nodded. “Yes, I’m Henry.”

A sudden uproar of voices ran in the trio’s ears. The figured seemed to be crying in relief or melancholy of some kind. The figure in front of Henry put hands on his shoulders. “Henry, do you remember me?”

Henry took a moment to think. Wait… that voice… “Shawn?”

“Yes! Yes, it’s me, Shawn! You remember me?”

“Yeah, Betty told me after I left, you got put in charge of Heavenly Toys.”

The ink person, now known as Shawn Flynn, almost fell to his knees. “Henry… you have no idea what happened here. Joey… he went mad and sent us all letters after we left when he… when he turned Bendy into a monster. You’ve seen him, haven’t you? The Ink Demon?”

Norman nodded and stepped forward. “These two have gotten a little too close for comfort with Bendy.”

Shawn looked at Norman with wide eyes before returning his gaze to Henry. “Henry… Joey turned us all into… this. He turned us all into inky freaks, forced to stay here and live in fear of him and Bendy! We… we need someone to help us, to save us. And you… you know Joey better than anyone. We… we need you, Henry. To save us. To save the studio.”

Henry felt his heart wrench at the words of his friend and former co-worker. He couldn’t believe this. People were suffering for Joey’s madness and he was the only one who could stop it. He had to save these people, who knows how many more would have to suffer if he didn’t. And… who knows what would happen if Joey were to get this magic outside of the studio.

“Henry… why did you come back?”

Another familiar voice came from behind him and he looked to see a figure shorter than Shawn walking up to him. The thick Brooklyn accent was easily recognizable. “Wally?”

The figure seemed surprised as his posture changed. “Henry… you remember me?”

Henry turned and put a hand on the small figure’s shoulder. “Wally, you know I could never forget you.”

A hug was given to Henry from Wally, who seemed to shake badly as Henry reached his arms around him. “I missed ya, Henry. I really did. I got your letters, but I… I just missed ya so much.”

Henry chuckled. “And I missed you too, Wally. Why did you come back?”

“I… I thought Joey had really gotten it together, I really did. He seemed so… sorry fer what he did. He tricked us all. He hasn’t changed at all and… he wants us to suffer, Henry. He’s a lyin’ bastard and he needs ta be stopped.”

“Wally, don’t worry. I won’t let anyone else suffer this fate. I’m going to stop all this.”

Henry didn’t notice it, but as Wally held onto him and he held onto the janitor, a soft white glow came from their arms. Everyone took a step back in fear and shock as the glow got brighter.

Henry looked down as Wally’s big orange eyes moved to him. “You’re gonna fix everythin’, right, Henry?”

Henry closed his eyes and nodded. “I will. I’ll stop Joey and fix this… I promise.”

A sudden flash enveloped the two and everyone shielded their eyes as it faded ever so slowly. Everyone waited until the glow was gone before putting their hands down. Loud gasps came forward as everyone looked back to Wally and Henry. No longer was an inky figure in his arms, but instead was a redhead with a green jacket, jeans, brown dress shoes, and a white shirt with a blue tie.

The gasps drew Henry’s attention and he looked down at his friend. He gasped softly. “Wally?”

The man looked up, revealing a face that only had ink around a glowing right eye. Wally looked at Henry with confusion. “What?”

“Wally…” Norman and Betty stepped forward.

“What? Whaddya starin’ at?”

“Wally, look at your hands.”

The janitor did so, gasping loudly. Though his hands remained ink, his clothing had come back and only had a few splotches of the stuff on it. He jumped in shock before looking at Henry, who was equally surprised at what had just happened. “Henry… you… you… ya fixed me!”

Everyone began to talk at one, asking Henry how he fixed Wally and if the same could be done for them. There was loud shouts and cries of confusion and awe and it took Henry holding up his hands to calm them down. Everyone fell quiet and the man looked to the janitor, who was feeling his face.

The first to step forward was an inky figure with a tall stature, though not as tall as Henry. He looked up at the former animator and asked, “How did you do that? What did you do?”

Henry looked at his hands. “I… I don’t know. I was just… hugging him and promising that I would fix this.”

The figure looked to Betty behind him, before looking at Henry. He suddenly held out his arms. “Here, try what you did on me.”

It was a strange request, but Henry wrapped his arms around the inky figure, who he couldn’t help but feel sounded awfully familiar. He closed his eyes and held the figure, thinking only about how he would fix this.

Henry knew deep down, he was the only one who could help these people. They were all victims of his best friend’s madness and didn’t deserve to suffer. They didn’t deserve to be trapped in the ink like this. Whatever Joey had done, he _would_ find a way to fix this and free everyone. He would make a promise to everyone if he had to. He was gonna fix this, no matter what it took.

The glow overtook both of them as it had done when Henry was hugging Wally and when the light faded, in Henry’s arms stood a redheaded man with glasses, wearing a yellow shirt, red bowtie, jeans, and red sneakers.

Betty suddenly gasped and waited until the figure turned around. She saw deep blue eyes looking to her and she felt tears well up as she smiled. “Dad?”

The man, Grant Cohen, looked at the woman and smiled with his eyes welling up too. “Hello, Betty. I’ve missed you, Sweetie.”

“Dad!” Betty squealed and ran to her father, wrapping her arms around him and setting her head against his chest. She began to sob out her words. “Dad, I--I thought you were gone! I thought--that--Joey killed you!”

Grant gently stroked her hair with hands covered in ink, being mindful to not get any on his daughter. “It’s okay, Sweetie. Papa’s here. I’m okay now, thanks to Henry.”

Shawn came forward and looked to Henry. “It’s you, Henry. You’re the one who will set us free! Bendy isn’t the one who will set us free like Sammy said! It’s you, Henry! You will set us free!”

Henry looked around as voices began to get louder, until a small chant came from the crowd, a chant of his name. Henry. Henry! Henry!

*****

The glow overtook another employee and Henry and soon enough it faded. When it was done a young woman thanked Henry and stepped away, joining the other employees.

When everyone had realized Henry could save them from the ink and return them to mostly normal, everyone had practically lined up to have the liquid curse taken away. It had taken some time, but soon enough, a good chunk of the employees of Joey Drew Studios stood before Henry, Betty, and Norman.

Henry looked around to make sure he hadn’t missed anyone and nodded when he saw humans with spots of ink in front of him. “I think that’s everyone. Did we miss anyone?”

Silence as everyone looked around. No one even noticed the creaking of the door to the room as Henry smiled, nor did anyone notice a figure step up to Henry until he was towering behind the man.

“Okay, now that that’s taken care of--”

“HENRY, BEHIND YOU!” shrieked Wally.

Before he could react, Henry felt arms wrap around his neck and pull him back. Everyone cried out and watched the figure pull Henry towards the door. Henry kicked his legs out in a panic and began to choke, trying his best to breath but unable to with the strong arms around his windpipe. Stars began to dance in his eyes as he was pulled out the door.

Allison Pendle suddenly stepped to the front of the crowd, recognizing the figure and shouting, “Sammy Lawrence, what are you doing?!”

Sammy stopped and watched the others stare in anger at him. The Bendy mask covering his face was damaged and he seemed to be dripping some ink off his limbs, but other than that, he looked intact. This was strange, considering his supposed death in the sacrifice room. Seems like Bendy had spared him, but for what reason?

Sammy looked at Allison and snarled. “You fools! Don’t you see?! This is the sacrifice we need! The sacrifice to appease Bendy and have our prayers answered.” He picked Henry up off the ground a bit, making him kick and choke out. “With this sheep, I will speak to the Ink Demon and he shall save us all! HE WILL SET US FREE, YOU FOOLS!”

Henry could see black at the edges of his vision. No, he wasn’t going out like this, he wouldn’t let Sammy take him down so easily. Remembering his close combat training, Henry jabbed an elbow into Sammy’s ribs, causing the man to cry out and drop him to the floor. Henry coughed and put a hand to his throat as he tried to breathe again.

Sammy held his side and groaned, before growling and looking at the former animator, eyes glowing a fiery red. “You fool! Do not fight your fate!” He scrambled to his feet and ran towards Henry…

Only for arms to be wrapped around him in a tight embrace.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, seems Henry really is the one who will set them free? But will his "powers" work on Sammy? Find out soon!  
> Feel free to leave comments and Kudos!


	18. Get the Gang Together

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, everyone! Sorry for no new chapter for some time, I've been busy with my art and getting ready for college! But I cracked down on writing this and got it done today! Hope you enjoy!

Sammy had run towards Henry in a fit of rage but was now stiff as a board as Henry wrapped his arms around him. The former director stayed with his arms slightly lifted from his sides and his gaze down at the shorter man. 

Henry held tightly onto Sammy, holding his breath. He was expecting to be pushed away and tackled, but he was surprised when nothing happened. Henry moved his blue eyes up to the Bendy mask that covered Sammy’s face, seeing his mouth through the hole in the mask. The director’s lips were pursed together, as if he was thinking. The former animator opened his own mouth to speak, but was interrupted by Sammy. 

“What… what are you doing, little sheep?”

Henry frowned and closed his eyes, setting his head against the taller man’s chest. “I’m not a sheep… and you’re not a prophet, Sammy Lawrence. I know you’re in there, Sams. I know you remember who you used to be. This isn’t you. Bendy won’t save you, Sammy.”

Sammy attempted to pull away from Henry but the man held fast. “How dare you speak of our lord in such a way! He will set us free, and you shall suffer for your words!”

Henry removed an arm from around Sammy and pushed up the mask. Beneath it, he could see Sammy’s eyes shifting from the overwhelming orange to a normal purple to orange again. His embrace must have stirred something inside of Sammy, something that was trying to get out. Putting both arms around him again, Henry softly spoke.

“C’mon, Sammy. I know you’re in there. It’s me, Henry, your friend. We used to talk in the employee pub and drink our coffee together…” He looked around as Sammy looked down at him. “Look… I’m not just saying this to you, but to everyone. I’m… I’m so sorry. I left because I had to, but I should have come back when I was done with my time as a soldier. If I had known what Joey was doing--what he was doing to you all--I would have come back after the war. I should have known Joey would do something stupid.” He closed his eyes. “But I promise, I’ll fix this. I don’t care what I have to do. Even if I have to sacrifice myself… I’ll fix this.”

The glow overtook Henry and Sammy and once it faded, there stood a man with blonde hair and purple eyes, wearing a blue shirt, red tie, and gray dress pants, being held onto by Henry. He opened his eyes, one a bright purple, the other a bright orange from being surrounded by ink. 

Sammy looked down at Henry, who seemed to be clutching onto him for dear life. He noticed small droplets were falling from his face. “Henry?”

Henry looked up with his lip slightly trembling. He sniffled a little before looking up, his brows raising. “Sammy?”

There was a short silence before quiet gasps filled the room when Sammy suddenly collapsed in Henry’s arms. Betty, Wally, and Norman ran to the sides of the former animator and looked at Sammy. 

The department director groaned and put a hand to his now aching head. He could see some of his friends and coworkers looking down at him with concern. Sammy’s eyes fluttered and he rubbed his temples. “Oh… oh, my head. What… what happened? Where are we?”

“It’s… a long story, Sammy,” Norman said, putting a hand to the back of his head. “Some of which you’ll have to fill in.”

*****

“Well, we need a plan of what we’re going to do once we get to the warehouse,” Wally responded, shifting in his spot on the floor. “We can’t just barge in there and take Alice and Boris from her.”

Henry nodded. “True, but we can arm ourselves and try to fight her. I don’t know the extent of her powers, but I have a feeling that, with our numbers, we can take her down and save the cartoons.”

After filling in Sammy on their little journey through the studio, Henry and Betty asked Sammy what he could remember about his time as an ink person. He had said there were small, vivid memories of preaching and trying to sacrifice others who came into the studio, and a very vivid memory of nearly dying by the hands of Bendy. When asked how he survived, Sammy explained that he had scrambled away and managed to outsmart the demon, getting around him and escaping. 

When others were asked why they came to the studio, they gave answers similar to Norman’s answer: Joey had sent them letters inviting them back to the studio and they came, only to meet their current fates by the hands of Joey Drew. All of them had gotten their letters between two and four years ago and had been here for that time. 

Sitting on the floor were Henry, Betty, Sammy, Wally, Norman, Allison, Shawn, Thomas, and Grant, all in a circle as other employees stood or sat and listened to them talk. 

Thomas looked to Wally. “Well, if you’re going to try and get back up there, you’ll need me and Wally here to help. We know every inch of this place and what doors lead to where.”

Allison nodded. “And I have a feeling some extra people in your party might help should you need to fight. If you’re going to go up there, I’m going with you.”

The others in the circle nodded in agreement. Henry looked to Betty and Norman before returning his gaze to his other friends. “Alright, I suppose more people to help couldn’t hurt. Besides, there’s safety in numbers.”

Sammy stood. “Then we should get going. The sooner we leave, the sooner we get Alice and Boris back, and the sooner we can stop Joey.” Seems the leadership that Sammy once had was finally returning to him. The old Sammy was back and so were the other employees… save for the inky spots on their bodies.

Henry stood and the others followed. “So… how do we get out of here?”

Wally pointed behind Henry, past the other employees. “There’s a vent over there. We could see where it goes.”

The former animator looked at the vent. It was dark and he could see some faint light from the end of it. He trusted Wally, so he hoped that the janitor’s idea wouldn’t get them killed. Everyone moved to the entrance to the duct and looked inside, before Henry moved to the front and declared, “I’ll go first. I’ll holler to you guys if I find anything.”

Grant nodded and replied with, “Good luck, Henry. We’ll be right here.”

Henry then climbed into the small space and began to make his way down the path. He could see a grate at the end of the stretch, so he quickened his pace.

Just as he reached the end and reached for the grate, a shape popped into view and Henry froze, eyes now wide as he looked into the unseen eyes of Bendy.

The Ink Demon looked at him with his unnerving grin and he said nothing and he made a shushing motion with one finger. He looked at Henry for a moment more, before slowly walking away. Henry stayed in that spot for what felt like forever. What on Earth did Bendy do that for? He could have just broken open the grate and grabbed him, but he didn’t. Henry shook his head. He could think about that later. For now, he had to find a way out.

*****

Thomas pulled himself from the vent as Shawn held his hand, helping him out.

Henry had crawled through the vents for a bit more, before finding an opening that led to a large room with a Bendy statue, a small balcony, and an entrance to another room. Once the former animator had found his way out, he directed his friends, shouting down the vent to get his words to them. 

Once the repair man was out and on his feet, everyone took a look around, seeing the large statue and the words, “ **COME UP AND SEE ME** ” written on the wall, stairs leading to the balcony. Everyone followed Henry as he gestured to them, walking up the stairs and coming to the top.

A large table was standing in the middle of the space, papers scattered across its surface. A few boards with large papers and blueprints stood behind some chairs. There was a switch in the corner, presumably to the entrance downstairs. A tape recorder lay on the papers on the table. Norman picked it up and pressed the play button, making everyone jump and turn to him.

_ “For forty years, I’ve built attractions that stagger the imagination.Colossal wonders such as the world has never seen! I have earned my legacy with sweat. _

_ But right in front of everyone--high level investors, Wall Street tycoons--the ever tactless Joey Drew introduces me, the great Bertrum Piedmont, as Bertie! like I was his child. _

_ You may be paying me, Mr. Drew! But you don’t own me! I’ll build you a park bigger than anything YOU could ever possibly conceive! But before you go taking any bows, Mr. Drew, know that this grand achievement will belong to me… and to me alone.” _

Henry turned on his heels after a moment of silence once the tape stopped. “Who was that?”

“Bertrum Piedmont, that’s who,” Wally replies. “The guy was hired by Joey to make a Bendy amusement park. The guy was some big show amusement park maker and owns a lot of ‘em around here. Joey must’ve paid him a lot, because he stayed and oversaw the buildin’ of the park.” 

Henry raised a brow, but a deep frown set on his face when he realized something: he had never seen a Bendy themed amusement park outside, in the city, so that could only mean that it was somewhere in the studio. But how the hell could an entire park fit inside here? Then again, who knows how far down Joey had dug since he left?

The former animator looked to the janitor. “Do you know where the park is?”

A nod was given as Wally pointed to the door downstairs. “It’s through there. I remember havin’ to come down here for cleanup.”

Thomas spoke up. “If I remember correctly, there’s a way to get upstairs through the haunted house in the park. There’s some kind of lift we can take.”

Betty nodded to them and looked to Henry. “We should flip that switch and get going then. The longer we stand here and talk, the less time we have to save Boris and Alice.”

Allison, who was closest to the switch, pulled it down and they could all hear the creaking of the door opening. The former animator led the way as everyone made their way downstairs once more. When they stepped through the doors and into the room, Henry lightly gasped.

Lights flickered on above their heads and all around them from the walls. Shelves with toys, large sacks of sand, and mechanical parts stood high around the room. A couple of stands with lids closed stood on one wall, a couple of doors to their left and right, and on the wall farthest from them was the entrance to the haunted house. A few cages hung from the ceiling as they looked to the sign above them. It read, “ **BENDY LAND** ” with the word, “land” covered by “ **HELL** .” Some switches were next to the scary attraction and Henry tried to take in everything as the others made their way down some stairs. Henry followed them while gaping. How on earth did Joey fit all this down here? Where did he have the time and money to do all this?

“When did all this get put in here…” his voice trailed off. He wasn’t expecting an answer from one of his friends.

“About… three years before the ritual,” Norman said. “Joey had gone made at that point and was dead set on this all. He had so much in mind, wanted to do so much more with it, but… shortly after, he did the ritual. I don’t think it was ever finished.”

Once everyone was on solid ground and had looked around, Wally walked over to the nearest stand and picked up a small set of baseballs. “Heh… I remember these. When no one was here, I’d throw ‘em at the bottles and practice my aim.”

Henry smiled at hearing the fondness in Wally’s voice. The kid always did get sentimental when it came to stuff he liked. He walked a bit more and came to the haunted house. It looked like it was operational, it just needed power. He turned to look at his friends, all examining the room. “Well, looks like we’re gonna need to power the haunted house somehow.”

Thomas looked up and nodded. “Well, if I remember, these doors? They all lead to rooms with a switch to power those lever, which power the house. We just gotta figure out how to open them.”

Wally perked up. “Oh! I remember how! The guys buildin’ the park were always gettin’ stuck down here and I would have to unlock the door to get ‘em out. So one day, I says to ‘em, ‘Guys, you’re smart, right? Why don’t ya just rig the stands to open the doors when you win?’ They went for it like a dog to pot roast!” 

Henry looked at Wally as he pressed a nearby button, activating the stands and lighting them up. Henry looked over them. One has some baseballs and bottles, the other had targets and a couple of small toy guns. “Alright,” Henry spoke. “Who’s good and throwing here?”

Allison held up a hand. “I used to throw baseballs back and forth with my dad. Let me give it a shot.” Everyone stepped back as she walked to the stand, her red dress sweeping the floor. She then took the balls in hand tossing one up and down in her hand. With sudden speed, she threw one ball and it took out the first stack of bottles easily. Another throw, another stack fell. She closed one eye and threw the last ball, taking out the third stack with no trouble.

Everyone stood in shock as she turned with a big grin on her face. “Well, that was easy.” 

They moved to the next stand and a few people groaned. “Oh, no,” Betty sighed. “Have any of you ever used a gun before?”

“I have,” Sammy and Henry answered. They each picked up a gun, before Wally pressed a button and started the game. Sammy got a target on his side and easily hit it dead center. Henry did the same as a target popped up on his side. The two men shot each target down with no problem, and once they had finished, a door opened to their left.

Sammy looked down at Henry and smiled. Henry did the same. “Sammy, where did you learn to shoot like that?”

“Well, after a breakin a while back, I went to a friend of mine who was a police officer and he taught me a thing or two about shooting. What about you? You hit bull’s eyes on all of your targets.”

Henry’s smile fell. He looked down and held the little gun close to him. Something seemed to change about his demeanor at the question. He sighed and answered with, “In… in the war.”

Sammy’s face fell and he took a step back. “War?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh ho! Seems Henry's got a little story telling to do!  
> I hope you enjoyed and feel free to leave Kudos and comments!


	19. Colossal Troubles

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone! I have the next chapter today! I've been thinking that, once Chapter 5 is out and I have my story sorted out, I will try to update this story at least once a week until it's over! I hope that's okay with you all.  
> Anyway, we have more of Chapter 4 coming into play and some surprises! Enjoy!

The others of the group looked at Henry with slight shock as he put down the small gun. He seemed to have completely changed his mood and tone. His eyes had a somber look to them. All was quiet, save for the humming sound of the lights in the large room. After a minute of this, Wally looked at Henry and asked, “You were… in the war, Henry?”

A sad nod was given to the janitor. “Yes, I was. That was one of the reasons I left the studio. I was drafted. I didn’t really have a choice as to whether I should leave the studio or not.”

Betty’s brows rose and she shook her head. No wonder Henry was so strong and was able to go through so much without tiring or having to rest. She stepped to him and asked, “Uncle Henry… did you… were you in the battlefield?”

“Yes… I was. I did have to fight and kill others… and despite having served my country, I’m not exactly proud of what I did while in the field.” Henry looked away with his eyes looking at him feet. Henry only wanted to live a normal life and work with his best friend in the studio. He still remembered the look on Joey’s face when he told him that he had to go to war. It was shortly before their fight and his features had read rage; anger at the fact that his best friend would be leaving him. 

“Henry?”

Shawn’s voice broke through his thoughts and he looked up to see all his friends looking at him. He shook his head, the bad thoughts being filed away for another time. “I’m sorry, I got lost in thought.”

“It’s alright, Henry. No need to think about that now.” Shawn waved a hand to say that it was okay. “Right now, we gotta get these levers up so we can power that haunted house.”

“Right. I think that door over there is open.” Henry pointed behind Wally and they could see an entrance. Wally walked in and jumped, seeing some strange Bendy plushies on the wall, before pulling the lever and walking back out. 

As Wally walked out, another door opened and every stepped through. They noticed they were on a balcony with a lower area with pipes and a large fall of ink. Before anyone could move or say anything, Henry held up a hand and pointed with the other. Down below, surrounding a fire in a barrel, were clones of Barley, Charley, and Edgar, all seeming entranced by the flame. 

Sammy frowned. “Damn it. Those little freaks have the best sense of hearing, and without any weapons, none of us stand a chance against them. Did any of you grab something from in there?”

No one had grabbed anything to use as a weapon, so shakes of the head were given. Norman leaned against the rails of the balcony, knocking over a can and watching it drop to the floor. The Butcher Gang clones seemed to hear it, because they flocked towards the can and watched it intently. 

Everyone had watched and now they knew what to do. Henry turned to Allison. “Allison, you said you used to throw baseballs with your dad, right? Do you think you can grab some cans, get down there and get to the lever?”

Allison looked down, before nodding. “I’ll do my best, Henry. If I don’t come back, than good luck to you guys.”

*****

Luckily, Allison made it back safe and sound. With her strong throwing arm, the cans went far enough to distract the Butcher Gang and let her slip by. She was able to get to the lever and made it back to her friends.

The next room with a lever had an eerie feeling to it, what with the dead Edgar clones and coaster carts with Bendy’s face staring back at them. As everyone entered the main area of this room, the doors slammed shut behind them, locking them inside the attraction storage room. All around them were more carts with smiling faces, some signs with lights, and a few horses that looked to belong to a carousel. In the middle of the room, towering over them, was a ride with four arms that had seats attached at the end. The lights of the ride were dim and scratches and ink lined the arms and main body. It was very old looking and as everyone walked around it, faint breathing could be heard from inside the ride.

Henry noticed this and gulped, looking to the others. “Do you guys hear that?”

Thomas stopped and listened, before nodding. “Yeah… where’s it coming from?”

“I think it’s comin’ from that ride thing,” Wally replied. Despite protests from Sammy, Wally climbed up the base of the ride and walked up to it, setting the side of his head against the body of the ride. “Hey, anyone in there?!”

As Wally knocked and talked to the ride, Henry noticed another tape on a nearby table. He slowly walked over to it and picked it up. It was strange, this one looked almost untouched, like it was brand new. He carefully pressed the play button, but hearing a voice echo through the chamber rather than from the tape sent chills down his spine. 

**_“The biggest park ever built, a centerfold of attractions. Each one, more grand than the one before it. It makes my eyes come to tears at the thought. But then… oh, Mr. Drew. For all your talk of dreams, you are the true architect behind so many nightmares.”_ **

As Bertrum’s voice continued to ring through the chamber, the lightbulbs on the ride lit up and the arms rose. Wally noticed this and ran off the ride in a panic. He ran to the others and looked back as the volume of the voice rose and the tone changed.

**_“I built this park. It was to be a masterpiece. My masterpiece! And now you think you can just throw me out? Trample me to the dust and forget me? No! This is my park, my glory! You may think I’ve gone… but I’m still here!”_ **

Everyone looked in horror as the ride sprung to life and the doors on the main body popped open, making everyone jump at the sight of a giant head lodged into the middle of the ride and staring them all down. Henry gasped and yelled, “WHAT THE HELL IS THAT?!”

Everyone watched at the arms of the ride began to spin in wild circles, like some sort of dance of death. When the arms suddenly stopped and one cart was hanging above Henry, he jumped away in time to avoid the cart coming crashing down onto the table. Wood splintered and flew off as a few axes, pipes, and other tools were revealed from the wreckage. Henry had done a roll as he jumped from the arm coming down on him and when he saw the tools, he looked at his friends. The others had scattered when the arm slammed down and now followed Henry’s gaze. The ride continued to spin until the arms stopped and two of them slammed down, Wally and Shawn narrowly avoiding being hit.

Henry ran to the spot where the table had been when he noticed the ride had stopped. He picked up an axe and shouted, “Everyone grab a weapon! If we have something to hit it with, we can find this thing’s weakness!”

The others scrambled to the small area and grabbed the pipes, plungers, and axes that were still on the ground and ran back to their places as the arms began to spin again. The loud creaking and screeching made them cringe, but everyone stayed on alert should Bertrum decide to attack again. Sure enough, the arms stopped just above Thomas and Grant and they barely made it out of the way. 

Henry noticed that there were large bolts holding the arms together and got a running start. He then jumped and hit one of the bolts, knocking it away and making the head inside roar with anger. He quickly ran back and looked around. “Go for the bolts on his arms! If we get those, the arms should break apart!”

Everyone nodded in reply and watch the arms spin in their menacing dance. When the arms came down once more, Wally and Sammy swung their weapons and managed to get more bolts off. Bertrum screeched again and began to swing his arms faster and faster, nearly hitting Norman and Henry again. 

The arms came down again and again bolts flew from the arms. When Norman managed to knock off one of them, the ride began to spark and sputter as the arm fell apart. Betrum’s roar shook the chamber and his arms swung out again, the carts swaying violently. 

Everyone waited again and again as the monster tried to strike them again and again, but soon enough, only one bolt remained on the last of its arms. Henry watched the arms spin with great intent, but it wasn’t stopping. It was like the ride had gone into overdrive and smoke leaked from pipes where the other arms once were. Henry suddenly had a crazy idea. It might get him killed, but if this thing wasn’t going to stop, he had to get to that bolt somehow.

Betty saw Henry get a running start. “Uncle Henry, what are you--” before she could finished, Henry ran towards the ride, right into the path of Bertrum’s arm. Everyone gasped and Betty reached out. “UNCLE HENRY, NO!”

Henry had jumped up and his hands latched onto the remaining cart as Bertrum swung it around. Henry quickly climbed into the cart and hung onto it with all his strength. The ride seemed to spin faster as he used the arm to hoist himself up. Bertrum’s screams became more angry and Henry could see that face scrunched into a deep frown and furrowed brows. He looked up to see the bolt above him. Pulling his axe from his belt, Henry waited until Bertrum stopped for a second to spin the other way. That one second was all the former animator needed to hit the bolt and send the cart flying into a wall. 

Henry nearly flew out and felt his body jolt as the cart slammed into the wall, crashing and breaking some of the boards. He rolled away and pushed himself up onto his knees. Betty and Sammy ran to him. “Henry!” Sammy exclaimed. “Are you alright?!”

The man nodded and dusted himself off. “Yeah, I’m good.”

Another room rattling screech broke through the air and everyone looked to the ride as more steam and oil flew from its pipes. The ride still spun, but it was slowing and slowing. Soon enough, the ride stopped and Bertrum coughed violently, getting out his last breaths in this form. The head’s eyes finally rolled back and the doors to the ride closed, the room going quiet within a moment.

Everyone stood in awe of what just happened, until one of the doors opened and out fell a body. The group ran to the body, all hovering over it. Most of everyone gasped, but Henry raised a brow in confusion. The man’s head seemed normal, but his body was half made of ink and half made of mechanical pieces. The man’s face was pale, his eyes covered by two monocles and his gray hair and mustache were splattered with ink. The man looked to be in his later years. A violent cough came from his lips, and his eyes shot open. The man weakly groaned and put a hand to his head. “Oh, heavens… my head. What on earth happened?”

Wally titled his head to the side and quietly asked, “Bertrum?”

The man on the floor looked in Wally’s direction. “Franks?” He noticed the ink and the glowing eye and sat up, jumping a bit in shock. “Franks, what happened to you?!”

“I think the better question is: what happened to  **_you_ ** ,” Norman replied. 

Bertrum saw everyone staring at him, and he tried to scramble to his feet, only to fall and be caught in the arms of Sammy when he did. Bertrum put a hand to his temples again, grunting. “Dear god, what happened to me? Where are we?”

Henry looked at the park builder and put a hand on his shoulder. “It’s a long story.”

*****

“So, you’re telling me that Drew used some kind of black magic and turned the studio into… this? And turned me into some kind of living amusement park ride?”

Sammy nodded and spoke, holding up a hand. “Yes, and we had to fight you because you tried to kill us. You were swinging the arms around on that thing and nearly smashed up. Henry actually jumped onto the last arm to get to that bolt and destroy it.”

After explaining their story for the upteenth time, Henry and the others had gone back into the main park area and filled in Bertrum on everything they knew. They had also asked what he knew and he had explained that he was lead into that room by Joey, before something was done to him and he blacked out. His next memory was waking up after the battle, similar to Norman and Sammy’s memories.

“So,” Bertrum broke through the silence, taking off his monocles and wiping them with his suit. “What are we going to do once we save Boris and Alice from the off-model Alice?”

“That’s… where we’re a little scared,” Henry answered. “We don’t know what Joey is capable of now, but no matter what, we have to find Joey and stop him. If his magic escapes the studio, there’s no telling what will happen or how many people will get hurt. What we do know is that we need everyone we can to stop him. Will you be joining us?”

Bertrum nodded and his frown deepened. “If it means getting back at Mr. Drew for what he did to me, than I shall follow your lead.”

Henry smiled. Another member to their crew and another number added to their safety. Looks like Joey was in for a hell of a fight when they find him. “In that case, let’s get that last lever flipped and get into that haunted house. We’ve got some toons to rescue.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Looks like Bertrum is joining the crew! But what awaits them in the haunted house? And will they rescue Boris and Alice in time?   
> Feel free to leave comments and kudos!


	20. They are Nothing But Tainted Ink

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone! I have the next chapter!  
> This will probably be my last chapter until Chapter 5 comes out and I get the end of my story sorted out.  
> The end of Chapter 4 comes into play here and I had so much fun writing this. Enjoy!

Henry and his friends stood before the haunted house, all of them watching as it came to life with lights and noises. A laugh came from within the structure and everyone looked inside, seeing the words,  **“TURN BACK”** written in ink on the wall.

The last lever had taken a little effort to find. The gang had made their way into the last room and split up, Sammy eventually finding the lever and pulling it. Now, they had turned to power back on and were staring down into what may lead to the end of their journey. 

Henry looked with a determined look on his face. He looked to his friends and asked, “Are you guys ready?” His friend nodded and Henry took steps forward, leading the group into the attraction. The sounds of their footsteps broke through the silence as they entered and made their way to the tracks of the house.They saw a line of carts waiting, as if someone had been expecting them. Henry found this very odd, but decided that the only way to go was down the tracks.

Nobody knew why the former animator climbed into one of the cars, but they followed his lead. When he sat down, Norman asked, “So… how do we get this thing movin’?” Before anyone could answer, they all jolted from the sudden movement of the carts going forward. It went a little faster than they could have gone by walking, and they all smiled and looked to each other. Hopefully, the end would have some way to get to the upper floors and they could find the toons and end this journey sooner than expected. 

However, chills ran down everyone’s spine as a voice began to speak to them. It was all too familiar to Henry, Betty, and Norman and they couldn’t help but look around to see where it was coming from. 

**_“And now, the ride truly begins, Henry. Come in, and pretend it’s all just a bad dream.”_ **

As the ride moved along, everyone jumped as parts of the ride jumped out and tried to scare them. They calmed soon after and as the ride made its way down the tracks, “Alice” began to monologue to them.

**_“It’s a funny thing, how so much can fall apart so fast. We never really had control of the studio. Either you were in someone’s pocket, or your were putting someone into yours. I just wanted what was promised to me! I just wanted to be beautiful. Surely you all can understand that.”_ **

Weight began to press down on Henry’s ribcage as the fallen angel began to speak to him and him only.

**_“Henry… why are you here? We’re all dying to find out. Do you just enjoy the terror of the drop into hell? Because if that’s the case… hang on tight. I’ve got a surprise.”_ **

Beads of sweat were rolling down the side of the former animator’s face, his breathing quickening. Something about “Alice’s” words scared him to his very core. He had a very bad feeling about what awaited them at the end of this ride.

A large pair of doors opened in front of the carts and everyone looked in awe. Pictures of monsters lines the beautifully decorated walls as an organ played its mournful song in the large room. There were piles of barrels and bags in the center of the room and an intricate chandelier hung high above the group. They watched as the ride took them around the pile and towards another set of doors. 

Panic set into Henry’s mind. No, they couldn’t go in there! Who knows what “Alice" had waiting for them on the other side of that door. Surely it had to be more monsters or worse… it could be the sight of their dear cartoon friend dead and dissected. He didn’t know what the inky woman was planning, but whatever it was, he didn’t want to find out.

Wally noticed Henry’s sudden shaking and asked, “Henry, are you okay?”

A shake of the head. “N--No… I have a really bad feeling about this.”

The doors opened as the front cart with Betty and Henry entered the doorway. They made a little ways into the darkness…

Before a pair of hands reached out, than another. The hands rested upon the front of the cart, the bodies they were attached too barely visible in the low light. Suddenly, the figures stepped forward. Everyone gasped and Henry shouted, “Boris! Alice!”

Boris and Alice’s faces may have looked the same, but they were no longer the cartoons that had followed Henry and Betty through their adventure. Boris’ body was bloated and much larger, his overalls stained and patched and ropes around his wrist. Ropes were also on his legs and a crude halo was harnessed to his head. He coughed loudly and made a small growl.

Alice’s lipstick was gone and her halo broken. Her arms and legs were now much longer, mechanical pieces and metal parts taking the place of much of the ink of her limbs. Her teeth were revealed to be sharp as she opened her mouth to make a guttural noise of anguish and rage. Stitches and splatters of ink littered her form as she stared the group down.

The part that made Henry’s eyes water were their eyes. Both of their eyes were X’s now, the cartoon calling card of death. “No, no… what has she done to you?!” Henry cried out. Before anyone could say another word, Alice and Boris grabbed onto the front cart, lifting it into the air. Everyone cried out in fear as they were lifted up and before they could do anything, they were all sent flying towards the back wall, screaming in terror. The carts crashed into the wall and shattered upon impact, dropping the humans to the ground. Everyone groaned and grunted, but Henry pushed himself up and looked in the direction of the doors.

Boris and Alice were now making their way to the group, Boris’ heavy boots stomped against the floor as he wobbled towards them. Alice’s steps were dainty but more like a limp compared to her companion. Henry’s eyes went wide and he looked up as “Alice” laughed and began to shriek.

**_“Meet the new and improved Boris and Alice! I took what I wanted, and in return, I gave them so much more! And this time, there’s no Ink Demon. No escape. Boris, Alice, tear them apart! Leave nothing!”_ **

Henry looked to his friends and scrambled to his feet. He began to breathe rapidly. “EVERYONE SCATTER!” he shouted with alarm. His friends had all pulled themselves to their feet and ran in different directions. Henry looked up as Boris towered over him, growling and breathing out heavily. Alice looked down upon him as well, her teeth shining in the low light. “B--Bor--Boris… Alice… guys, it’s me,” he sobbed out. 

Henry didn’t know what to say. His friends, his dear creations that had come to life, were now twisted monstrosities that were hellbent on taking out him and his friends. But this isn’t what he wanted. This isn’t what he wanted to happen. The man so wanted to get back to that warehouse and save his friends. But that wasn’t how it turned out, was it? 

Henry sniffled and tears formed in the corners of his eyes. Part of him was enraged that… that wicked witch did this, but most of him was devastated at the loss of his dear friends. As the two stepped just a little closer, Henry held up his hands. “Guys--I--I don’t want to hurt you! It’s me, Henry. Please, just--” He was cut off by a hand around his neck and another around one of his ankles. Everyone watched in horror as Henry was tossed to the side by the angel and wolf, the man crying out as he rolled across the floor. Betty and Sammy ran to his side while everyone scattered again. 

Sammy helped Henry to sit up and asked, “Henry, are you okay?”

Henry shook his head and shut his eyes. “We couldn’t… we couldn’t save them. I… we did everything like we were supposed to… and--and…” Henry sobbed again and clenched his fists. “That… that b**** turned them into monsters! This wasn’t supposed to happen! We were supposed to save them!”

Betty saw his shaking fists and put a hand on one of Henry’s shoulders. “Uncle Henry… look, I know you wanted to save them. I did too. I wanted to free them and get them out of here. But there’s nothing we can do now but fight them and avenge their deaths. And we have to take out ‘Alice,’ for them!”

Henry sniffled, but furrowed his brows and nodded. He rose to his feet despite his now aching form and took a defensive stance. Time to get back at that wicked woman!

Henry noticed that, in their attempt to attack the others, the monsters had smashed open a few boxes and inside them were pipes. Henry ran as quick as he could and slid on his side, grabbing a pipe and getting back to his feet. He watched as some of the others followed suit, Wally running to distract Boris and Alice. After Wally had gotten a pipe into his hand, everyone moved so they stood in a circle around Alice and Boris. The monsters looked in slight confusion, but both charged in Henry’s direction. The man waited then slid to the side, before taking his pipe and slamming it into Boris’ back. 

The wolf roared and turned on his heels, only for Betty to smack him with her pipe and making him whimper. Alice let out a garbled roar and ran towards Norman. A pipe landed on the side of her face from the projectionist, making her head swivel and making her dizzy. She groaned and hissed like a wild animal and Sammy took his chance to swing his weapon into her body. She hissed and roared, rushing towards the director. However, Wally threw himself to the floor and tripped her. Alice fell flat to the floor and pushed herself up with her arms.

Boris had recovered and now ran towards Thomas and Grant. The men nodded at each other before sliding to opposite sides, causing the beast to run into a wall. The repair man and financial manager then smashed their weapons into the monster, making him turn and slam his fists into the ground.

Alice had gotten back to her feet and swung her arms out, scratching Allison’s arm and knocking back Shawn and Bertrum. They all stumbled back from their hits but recovered quickly and swung at the fallen angel. 

This battle continued with the monsters charging and even throwing carts that rolled into the room, but the humans were more than ready for whatever they did.

It was when Alice and Boris were both panting in exhaustion, ink leaking from their bodies, that the final blows were struck. Sammy and Henry stood by Betty and Norman and they all looked to each other. They nodded and Sammy and Norman ran forward, cupping their hands as Henry and Betty took off. Just as they reached the director and projectionist, they stepped onto their hands and were hoisted up into the air. With cries like those of battle, Henry and Betty swung their weapons, making the killing blows on Alice and Boris. 

The two screeched in pain and fear, before they both fell onto their backs, their ink beginning to melt away. Henry and Betty watched the black begin to take their forms, and Henry suddenly walked over to them. He fell to his knees between the angel and wolf, putting a hand to each of their faces. “I… I’m… I’m sorry. I’m so sorry I couldn’t save you. I wanted to so bad… I’m so sorry.” Tears dripped down his eyes and he held his hands there, the ink slowly bubbling under his fingertips.

A sudden white light began to emit from Henry’s palms and Betty gasped. “Uncle Henry, look.”

Henry did and he watched as the ink began to shift and move under his hands. The larger bodies fell away and so did the metal pieces and crudely tied ropes. Soon enough, there under Henry’s arms were the real Boris and Alice, the ones he had known throughout his time in the studio, his creations, his children.

Henry watched as Boris groaned, placing a hand to his head. Alice coughed a little and pushed herself up. Boris did the same and had his eyes sealed shut. “Oh, geez… my head. What happened?”

“Boris? Alice?”

The cartoons turned their heads and looked to see their father, their creator, looking at them with wide, teary blue eyes. All was silent as Boris and Alice leaned up and hugged Henry, the man wrapping his arms around them in a loving embrace. However, a sudden scream broke through the silence and made everyone jump.

**_“No! No, no no! Why can’t you ever just die?!”_ **

Loud footsteps came from the door where the toons first emerged, and everyone screamed as they saw “Alice” sprinting towards them, screaming with her arms flailing. Everyone closed their eyes, waiting for her to deliver their deaths….

But death never came. Instead, “Alice" stopped as a blade was plunged into her back and out of her chest. She made a few strangled noises as the sword was removed, and down to the ground she fell. Everyone looked up… only to see an angel and a wolf, dressed in belts and ropes, standing there and watching them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Looks like everyone is saved! But who are their inky saviors? And what do they want?  
> Find out in November!  
> Feel free to leave kudos and comments!


	21. Inky Imprisonment

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone! I know it's been sometime since I updated this story, but it was because I was waiting for the release of Chapter 5! I played it when it came out and now, I'm ready to finish this story!  
> Here's a new chapter, with Chapter 5 coming into play!  
> Enjoy!

“Henry? Henry? Henry, are you awake?”

Henry groaned in his sleep, swatting a hand that was placed on his cheek. He rolled over and balled his hands up close to his face. He was in a blackness that cradled him and made him feel at peace. All the pain, all the worry; it was gone and he felt at home. However, the voice came again, slowly pulling him from the darkness and making him feel weak and sick.

“Henry… Henry, please, wake up.”

The former animator groaned and sat up, rubbing his eyes before opening them. He blinked a few times, his blue orbs hazy. He looked around, seeing blurs that were slowly forming into shapes of people. Once his vision was in focus, Henry noticed he was surrounded by his human friends, all looking over him with worry. He frowned in confusion. “Guys… what are you staring at me for?”

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Betty stepped forward and put a hand on his shoulder. Henry tilted his head as she spoke. “Uncle Henry… you were asleep… but you were crying in your sleep. You were sobbing and there were tears on your face. We didn’t know if you were hurting or having a bad dream, but you wouldn’t wake up.”

Henry furrowed his brows. “I’m sorry,” he apologized. “I didn’t mean to frighten any of you. I’ve been having nightmares since the war, and this was one of those ones that made me feel like I was in the battlefield again.”

Norman, who was leaning against a nearby wall, stood from his place. “Well, we’re just glad you weren’t physically hurting. You’ve already taken a beatin’ goin’ through this studio.”

The sound of something dripping and some humming caught the attention of Henry and he stood from the bed he was lying on. He stepped to the wooden boards that kept the humans in their makeshift cell and looked out, seeing an inky woman writing on the wall, a smaller cartoon standing near her with a nervous face. 

It was at that moment that Henry remembered where they were and what had happened.

*****

Henry sighed in great relief, standing and taking a few steps towards their saviors. Just as he was two feet away from them, a sword and pipe were pointed at him as if to attack him. Henry put his hands up and looked to the faces of the angel and wolf. They both looked angry and fearful at the same time.

“Who are you?!” the angel demanded. “What are you doing down here and why are you in this room?!”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa!” Wally looked at their “saviors” and frowned. “Who are you ta ask who we are? Ya think you rule this place?!”

The angel shook her head. “You obviously don’t know where you are! You’re in a dangerous place and should have turned back when you had a chance. This place doesn’t take lightly to intruders, and neither does the Ink Demon, nor the fallen angel you just faced.” She briefly pointed her sword to the fallen body of “Alice,” before returning it so its point was towards the group. 

The wolf growled as Henry put his hands down. “Now,” came his gruff voice. “We’re going to ask again:  _ who--are--you?” _

Henry, though still a little frightened, calmed himself as much as he could. He gestured to himself. “I’m Henry, former animator from this studio and best friend of Joey Drew. These are former employees of this studio, and the living forms of Alice Angel and Boris. We’re here because we want to stop Joey’s madness and powers from escaping the studio. We came here because we were trying to rescue Alice and Boris from that… that wicked woman.”

The anger fell from the pair’s faces as they listened to what Henry had to say. There was a moment of uncomfortable silence as Henry began to sweat. He was really hoping he didn’t just screw him and his friends over. 

The angel withdrew her weapon, putting a hand on the shoulder of the wolf as she put her sword on her belt. The wolf put his pipe into the pocket of his overalls. The inky woman put one hand on her hip, pointing with the other at Henry. “Look, I don’t know who you are, Henry, or what any of you are, but you’re coming with us, now.”

Sammy stepped forward with furrowed brows. “Now, wait just a minute!” He jabbed a finger into the angel’s chest. “Just what makes you think we’re going anywhere with--”

The wolf suddenly snarled and tackled Sammy, sending them both to the ground. He then sat up on his chest. Before the man could speak, the tall toon punched him in the cheek. The angel stepped to where Sammy was rubbing his face. “Because,” the female toon started with her yellow eyes beginning to glow as she narrowed them. “If you don’t come with us, we will make you suffer in ways you can’t even imagine. We’ll cause you pain you won’t even be able to fathom. We will make you beg for mercy. Now, shall we get going? It’s not a very long walk.”

Everyone turned to Henry, who was now sweating with terror written on his features. He could see that these two toons were more than capable of killing them, so it seems they had no choice. 

*****

As the humming caught his ears, Henry looked out to where the inky woman was. She was writing on a wall, occasionally dipping her finger into a small bucket being held by Alice. The small angel looked terribly frightened. Henry looked around, only to see Boris sitting on a small chair in the corner, looking just as afraid as Alice did. Henry put his hands to the wood that kept him and his human friends trapped and tilted his head. The taller angel didn’t stop her singing, and he knew that tune. “I know that song,” he muttered.

“Everyone knows that song,” the angel spoke, surprising the group. She stayed facing the wall, continuing with her writing. She huffed a bit, crossing something out. “Who are you? Why are any of you here?”

Henry wanted to remind her that he had already explained who he and his friends were, but stopped himself and sighed. “We were all invited by an old friend… and now, we can’t leave.” He looked away in shame. “We all fell for our ‘friend’s’ words and thought he had changed from the abusive man he became. But… I guess not.” 

“Then you know more than we do.” The angel wiped a droplet of ink from her forehead as Alice looked to Henry. The tall woman glanced over her shoulder at the humans, before returning to her work. “One minute, we don’t even exist. Just… thoughts. And the next minute, this place.”

Henry pursed his lips together as he looked over the inky woman. She had thick hair tied into a ponytail, held back by a halo placed on her head like a headband. Her dress was brown and splattered with ink, as were her arms. She had a rope over her shoulder and a belt with a bag on her side. Her dark legs had big boots on them. When she turned to see Henry, he could see her yellow eyes glowing a slight bit. 

Betty nudged his shoulder and he nodded. “Are you gonna let us out of here?”

The angel seemed to tense up. “Down here, strangers aren’t good things. How can we trust you? We don’t even know what any of you are.”

“My name is Henry, and these are my friends.” He saw her turn on her heels and pointed to each of his friends as he said their names. “This is Betty, Sammy, Wally, Norman, Allison, Grant, Shawn, Thomas, and Bertrum. We used to work here. We worked for Joey Drew, the owner of this place.”

The angel sighed softly. “I… I honestly don’t know my name. So, they call me Alice. But, I’m no angel.”

“Then… how about a better name,” Henry asked.

The woman turned fully on her heels. “Like what?”

“How about…” He turned to look at his friends. Allison Pendle caught his eye and he smiled softly, turning back around. “How about Allison? It’s like Alice, but I think it fits someone like you better.”

The inky angel turned back around and began to write again. “I… I don’t know. I… I’ll think about it.” She gave out another huff and looked to Alice. “Stay here, Alice. I need to go get something.”

Alice nodded before the taller angel began to walk down a nearby hallway. When she was gone, Boris and Alice ran from their spots to Henry, taking his hands as he reached them out from the wood. Henry looked to the worried faces of his children. “Are you guys alright,” he asked. “Did they do anything to you two?”

Boris shook his head. “No, Dad, but… I’m so scared. They kept threatenin’ us and tryin’ to get us to do what they want. They… she isn’t that mean, but the other one… with the robo arm… he scares me.”

Alice nodded. “I’m so sorry, Henry. We would try to help you out, but… they told us that they’ll turn us into puddles if we free you. They don’t trust us, or any of you.”

The sound of footsteps came from down the hall and Alice and Boris scrambled back to their places. The tall angel returned and began her work again. She looked over her shoulder at the humans. “I can tell you’re all tired. You should go back and rest. We can talk again later.”

Henry waited for more, but the angel just started humming again, ignoring them. Henry sighed. He turned back to his human friends and put a hand to his head as he began to feel sick. Betty noticed this and walked to the man, putting hands on his shoulders. “Uncle Henry, are you okay?”

“N...No…” Henry shook his head and groaned. “I don’t feel very good, guys.”

Wally patted the bed where Henry had been before. “You should lay back down, Henry. Hopefully some rest will help. Besides, ya look tired.” 

Henry opened his eyes halfway and nodded, trudging over to the bed. He laid down and a blanket was put over him. He closed his eyes as Betty gave a small kiss to his forehead. “Sleep tight, Henry. We’ll all get some rest and… hopefully, things will be better soon. I promise, we’re gonna get out of here.”

Henry nodded and curled up on his side. Things looked bleak now. He was cold, hungry, and oh so afraid, but he wasn’t going to lose hope. He was going to fix this. He was going to get himself and his friends out of here and stop whatever dark magic Joey had used. He was going to fix everything…

Even if it was the last thing he did.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, can Henry and his friends escape? And what does then next day hold in store for them? Find out next week!  
> Feel free to leave comments and kudos!


	22. The Angel's Mercy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone! I have a new chapter of Drowned in Ink today! I have a few chapter written up, and wanted to post one today since I'm very happy with how they're coming along!  
> Hope you all enjoy this chapter! More of Chapter 5 comes into play here!

The next time Henry awoke, he felt woozy and sick, as if he had a fever. He was lightheaded and he felt so weak. Henry managed to open his eyes after hearing muffled voices, and those voices slowly became clearer as he woke up. He could see the legs of two figures outside the cell where he and his friends rested. Henry slowly sat up, keeping his blanket around him.

“It’s only for a few hours,” a feminine voice assured. “No need to worry, I won’t go far. Only up to Level Six. Just stay here. Keep an eye on the humans, okay? Especially Henry. He looks a little unwell. I’ll be back as soon as I can. I promise.”

Some very quiet words came as a reply, then the creak and closing of a door. Henry looked down, seeing some of his friends sleeping flat on the floor while a few others sat against the walls. Henry, despite the weakness in him, felt like he needed to get up. He slowly put his legs over the side of the bed and stood, nearly falling onto Wally and Sammy. The former animator held out his arms to keep his balance and quietly made his way to the entrance to their cell. 

The toon in front of him made his way to a chair a few yards away from the cell, and as he sat down, his gaze found Henry’s. This toon looked like Boris, but one of his arms was mostly mechanical pieces. He held an axe in one hand and smacked the flat side of the blade into his other hand. The wolf narrowed his eyes and growled. Henry opened his mouth to speak, only for a small cough to escape his lips. 

“Shut up.”

He opened his eyes, having heard a voice speak to him. He looked in front of him, seeing the wolf now standing with the axe in his hands. Henry raised a brow. “What,” he said in a hoarse voice.

“You heard me. I said, ‘shut up.’”

Ah, so the wolf could speak. He hadn’t said a word since they had come face to face with him and the angel, so he wasn’t sure if he was mute or not. Henry shifted on his feet. “You… you can talk?”

“Yes, I can, and you shouldn’t be. You have no right to say anything after what you pulled in the amusement park.”

The man saw the wolf walk towards him and he suddenly feared the worst. He was deathly scared that he was about to get an axe to the face. To his surprise, the toon put the weapon down and crossed his arms. Henry opened his mouth again, but again he was stopped, this time by a gloved hand. He looked up into those pie cut eyes.

“If you’re going to ask what I mean, don’t bother. What you did was nearly getting yourself killed. You should know by now that the woman you nearly died by rules this darkness, and we’ve been trying to get to her for some time. You could have suffered a fate worse than death had Alice and I not been there.”

Henry swatted at the hand over his mouth and he frowned. “We were… just trying to save our friends. We’re not here to hurt anyone. We’re just trying to stop Joey and keep his magic from getting out of here.”

The Boris clone frowned and narrowed his eyes again. “Who’s… Joey? Why do you keep talking about him?”

“You mean… you don’t know who caused all this?”

“No.”

Henry coughed again, putting his face into his elbow, before turning back to the toon. “Look, I don’t think you know what this place used to be. It used to be a place where cartoons were made, moving pictures. It was run by my friend, Joey Drew, and I helped him here. But… I had to leave for my own reasons and we fought, and I didn’t return here. At least for a while. But I recently got a letter from Joey asking me to come back. I guess… he had planned for me what happened to the rest of the employees. They were turned into lost souls of ink people. I could have ended up the same way, but my friends helped me.”

Every word that came from Henry’s mouth sounded genuine and kind, and he continued as the Boris tilted his head. 

“At first, I was just trying to get out of here, but then, when I found out what Joey was doing, I knew we had to stop him. The reason we were in the haunted house was because… ‘Alice’ kidnapped our Alice and Boris. We didn’t know what she would do to them.” 

The Boris looked at Henry with his hands on his hips. The man sounded sincere, but that didn’t answer some of the questions he had. “So… these others are friends of yours?”

“Yes. They were employees who suffered because of Joey. Almost all of them were turned into monsters by Joey and I... I somehow freed them from their inky shells.”

The toon’s eyes went wide at those words. “Wait, how did you free them?”

“I… I don’t know. I hugged them and thought only about how I was going to fix this mess, and they turned from ink to human in my embrace.”

The wolf took a step back, as if from fear. He shook his head and backed away until he bumped into the chair he was in before. Henry couldn’t understand why, but before he could ask, he felt weak again, woozy and in slight pain. He dragged himself back to the bed and flopped onto it, almost instantly falling back asleep. His body wasn’t taking being in the studio too well now. He feared the worst as he fell back asleep, fearing for his condition and for his friends.

_ “Don’t worry so much,”  _ a voice in his head told him.  _ “It will all be over soon, Henry.” _

*****

Allison placed a hand to Henry’s forehead and he winced. She pulled her hand back and looked to the others. “Yep, he definitely has a fever. He’s burning up.”

Betty looked at Henry and took one of his hands, feeling his wrist. “His heartbeat is a little slow, too. Henry, how do you feel?”

“Like s***,” came his answer. He rarely cursed, but he felt horrible at this point. His body was weak and achy, his head hurt and his stomach kept threatening to send up what little was in it. He was beyond tired at this point and just wanted to be back home with his wife.

Sammy shook his head and looked to Betty. “Is he going to be alright?”

“I… I don’t know, Sammy. I’ve never seen someone so sick, and I’m not so sure what he’s sick with.”

Henry suddenly broke into a coughing fit, his noises strained and his body quaking violently. When the coughing finally stopped, Henry’s breathing was ragged and uneven. He closed his eyes and wrapped his arms around his stomach. Everything was hurting right now.

“Henry? Here. You must be hungry.”

The voice of the tall angel caught his ears and he looked up, past his friends, seeing her at the entrance to the cell. Henry could see a small bowl sitting on the top board of wood. He managed to get to his feet and Wally helped him to the door to the cell. Henry looked into the bowl. Bacon soup. It may have been the only thing he had eaten while in this studio, but he was grateful for it. He looked to the angel’s face. She looked apologetic. “Sorry, it’s all we have,” she voiced.

Henry waved a hand. “It’s… it’s fine. Thank you, Allison.”

The woman tensed a bit, seeming surprised to be called by that name. However, the frown on her face was replaced with a smile. “I’m… sorry for being so harsh before. I just didn’t know if we could trust an outsider like you. But… Tom told me what you told him. And he said you sounded very honest about it all. He still doesn’t trust you, something about you being chosen, but… I do. And I will let you out of here when I can get him to do the same.”

Henry smiled. “Thank you… Where are our Alice and Boris? I haven’t seen them for a while.”

“They’re in one of the back rooms in here. They seem to be… feeling guilty about something. I’ll bring them here to see you soon. You should eat now, you look like you need it.”

*****

Henry did eat, then fell back asleep, the sickness that had taken him slowly starting to go away within a few days. He was soon healthy again and well enough to walk around and even draw a little bit. He was able to talk with his friends, expressing how much he wanted to get them out of here and back to their homes. He even promised them that he would fix this, no matter what it took.

It was a few days after this that Henry awoke to the sound of humming again, and he looked up from the bed to see the angel writing on the walls again. He stood and walked past his sleeping friends, watching the woman for a moment.

“I know you’re watching me. It’s just… a little creepy.”

“You’re the one who writes on the walls,” Henry argued.

“We all do. For some poor souls down here, it’s the only way they can be heard. But you don’t want to touch the ink for too long. It can claim you, pull you back.” She dipped her finger into an ink bucket on the nearby table, then turned back to her work. “That’s how I met Tom. I was messing with things I shouldn’t have been and he… he was there.”

“Why do you call him ‘Tom?’”

“He… he was like me: without a name, without knowledge of who he was. So, I picked a name for him. And he seems to respond to it.”

“Well… I don’t think he’s very fond of me or the others.”

“Let me show you something.” The angel turned on her heels and walked over to the cell. “A while back, I was mapping out one of the upper levels… when I noticed something reflecting off a piece of glass.” She pulled something from the bag on her belt and held it out the Henry. “I held up the glass, looked through, and on the wall behind me, there was a hidden message! Right there, in plain sight! So, I kept looking… and found more and more messages everywhere in the studio!” 

Henry took the contraption into his hands. It was a piece of glass set into a frame with some light bulbs on the sides. He held it up, and sure enough, there were bright words glowing on the wall behind her. Henry couldn’t quite make them out, but he saw them. The angel spoke again.

“I don’t know who’s leaving them, but I think they know how to get out of here.”

“Where does it all lead to?”

“Nowhere,” came her dejected reply. “I followed them for a long time… just leads me in circles.” She bowed her head and shook it. “I don’t think I’m meant to leave this place, Henry. But maybe… you and your friends are.” 

Henry felt a sudden weight on his shoulders at her words. If he really was meant to leave this place with his friends, then Allison and Tom would be alone down here. They would be trapped in the inky madness that Joey had created and would forever live in fear. It was at that moment he made a promise to himself: a promise to free Allison and Tom from their fear. He would get them out of here, even if it was the last thing he did.

Henry put down the device she had made and begged, “Allison… please, let us out of here.”

“I… I can’t,” the angel answered. “Tom thinks you’re dangerous.”

“And what do  _ you  _ think?”

“I… I think… you’re the hope I’ve been waiting for. I think… you’re the one who will set us free.” She looked away for a moment, before returning her yellow gaze to Henry. “Go to sleep. Maybe tomorrow will be better.”

*****

Henry awoke to the sounds of mechanical pieces moving and he sat up in his bed. He looked out of the grate covering his cell and saw Tom sitting on the table in the room, Allison using a screwdriver on his arm. “That was really stupid, Tom!” she shouted to the wolf. “You shouldn’t have gone out there!”

“I know, Honey, I know,” he grumbled in response. “But I was just trying to make sure he wasn’t out there!”

“Well, now that he’s seen you, it’s only a matter of time before he finds us here!” Allison stopped for a moment, noticing Henry looking at her. She smiled softly and waved, while Tom growled and smacked his axe in his hand again. Henry laid back down after that, his exhausted body lulling him back into sleep.

****

“Henry! Henry, wake up!”

Henry’s eyes shot open as he sat up in his bed, seeing his friends looking at him with worry and fear on their faces. The former animator frowned and furrowed his brows. “Guys, what’s going on?”

“I don’t know,” Shawn answered. “But those two are yelling outside.”

“We can’t just leave them, Tom!”

“Alice, what do you mean?! Our own safety is our first priority! They can fend for themselves!”

“No, Tom! We can’t leave them! Not with the Ink Demon right outside the door!”

Henry picked himself up and ran to the cell entrance, seeing Allison with her hands on Tom’s shoulders. “What’s going on,” he asked in a calm voice.

Allison whipped her head to the voice and looked at Henry with worry clear on her features. “He’s coming! We have to move on!”

A loud rumbling came from above everyone’s heads and Allison’s face turned to panic. “Tom, we have to let them out!” She then began to pull at the wood keeping the humans trapped, grunting and trying with all the strength she had. She managed to crack the wood a bit, but before she could break it, Tom put a hand on her shoulder and shook his head. Allison looked at him for a second, before turning to the humans, her eyes beginning to fill with ink. “I’m sorry, but…”

Henry shook his head. “Allison… just… go. We’ll find our own way out, I promise. Go now, don’t let him catch you.”

The angel blinked, before nodding and following Tom through the door and into the nearby hallway.

And so there they were. The humans were alone and the Ink Demon was coming for them. Alice and Boris suddenly rushed out from a nearby wall, but all Henry could do was stare at where Allison and Tom had left.

They were truly alone, and he was more terrified than he had ever been.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so Henry and the others are alone... but can they make it out of the cell alive?  
> Find out soon! Feel free to leave comments and kudos!


	23. Rivers of Mayhem

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone, I have another chapter for you all today! I really like how these chapter are coming and I just couldn't help myself but post another one! This is more of Chapter 5!

Henry turned to look at his human friends as they began to shout and panic. He could tell they were just as afraid as he was, not knowing when the Ink Demon would break in and take them all out. Henry looked around and noticed the device that Allison had given him. He took it and looked through the glass, his eyes widening. 

All around him, along the walls, were messages, messages of hope and of fear. Messages like, “ _ IT’S IN THE VAULT,” “LET ME OUT OF HERE,”  _ and, “ _ TRUST HER” _ spoke to him in a bright light. Though the others were looking at him with curiosity, Henry looked past them, seeing some arrows pointing to a wooden spoon on the wall behind Sammy and Norman. A message on the wall read,  _ “TAKE THE SPOON.”  _ Henry tilted his head and raised a brow. “Norman, grab that spoon behind you.”

Norman did so, and when he pulled on it, a doorway in the wall behind him opened up. Henry stepped into the room with the seeing tool in hand, seeing a message written to check in a toilet in the small area. When Henry lifted the back lid, he could see a Gent pipe inside. “Guys… I think I have our way out.”

Everyone watched Henry as he took the pipe into one hand, the seeing tool in his other hand. He reeled his arm back, before swinging it at the wooden boards. One board broke and fell to the floor, making Alice and Boris wake from their sleep and look over at the cell. Slowly, Henry broke away the wood and out he stepped, stretching his arms above his head. It felt good to not be so cramped up. 

Alice and Boris rushed to Henry and wrapped their arms around him. He did the same and asked, “Are you guys okay?”

Boris nodded and held his father in a tight embrace. “Yeah, we’re okay, Dad. We were just so afraid that Tom was gonna do something to you. We felt so guilty about just standing by, doing their bidding, and not being able to help you.”

“You had us worried when you were sick,” Alice added. “We didn’t… we didn’t think you were going to make it.” 

Henry closed his eyes as his human friends stepped out of the cell behind him. “It’s okay, guys. I’m fine now, and I promise, I’m going to get you out of this.” He looked up at the others. “I’ll get us all out of this. And I’ll make Joey pay for what he’s done to you all.”

Everyone gave small cheers as Henry looked through the glass again, seeing a message that made him feel just a little better.  _ “THERE’S ALWAYS HOPE.” _

“So, where do we go, Henry,” questioned Wally.

“Well, I think we should go down that hall that Allison and Tom took.”

“Um… Henry,” Allison Pendle spoke up. “Since she’s Allison, what should I be called?”

“Hmm… how about Ms. Pendle?”

“I… I like that. It has a nice ring to it!” 

“Well, we should get going. The longer we stay here, the less time we have to escape from Bendy.” 

Henry led the way once more, his pipe in one hand and his seeing tool in the other. The hall was damp and dim, with ink spilling from the ceiling and a few plants growing through cracks in the floor. The walls were made of rock, so it was clear that they were still very far under the studio. A few posters hung on the walls and a Bendy statue was buried a bit in the ground. As the group stepped further down the hall, they made their way into an area where the walls were wooden and the ink had risen to their ankles. A few wooden boards let them walk above the ink. No one wanted to be claimed by the ink again, so they did their best not to touch it.

The caves and small halls ended and the sound of an engine starting up ran through the air. As the group entered the room, they took a look around. While another Bendy statue stood in a small alcove, a large pool of ink was below the platform they were on, more cave walls surrounding a large circular entrance. Wally tapped Henry’s shoulder and pointed to the entrance. He looked and saw a boat leaving through the inky river. 

Henry took his seeing tool, just out of curiosity, and saw a halo above a figure in the boat. That must have been Allison and Tom. Another glow caught his eye and he looked to the floor, seeing the words,  _ “THERE’S SOMETHING IN THE RIVER.” _ Henry gulped. What… was in the river? And who was it that knew this?

The former animator shook his head. They could think on that later. Right now, they needed to get out of here before Bendy found them. Henry looked to see a couple of boats on their tracks on the platform, and he pulled a lever near one. It slid into the inky river and waited for its crew. Grant ran to the other boat and pulled its lever as well and there sat two boats, waiting for them. 

Henry was the first to get into one of the ships, hopping in and peering into the entrance in the cave walls. He couldn’t see anything in the darkness, but he hoped that whatever was ahead wouldn’t take them out. They had to stay on guard should Bendy decide to show his face.

Wally stepped to the controls of the ship, pressing a button and pushing up the lever. Thomas did the same and the boats revved to life, beginning the journey down the river. One ship held Henry, Betty, Alice, Boris, Sammy, Wally, and Norman, while the other held Grant, Ms. Pendle, Shawn, and Thomas. The ship being controlled by Wally was first into the entrance, the other ship following close behind. 

The halls were dark and quiet, the silence unnerving everyone. The occasional sound of ink dripping broke through, but did little to quell their fears. Henry would occasionally hold up his seeing tool, seeing some more messages written on the brick and rock walls. The river led them into a large pool with a small shore leading to a door. Another barge was docked there and Henry frowned. Allison and Tom must have gone through there. Maybe they should follow them?

A sudden rumbling made everyone look around in fear. That couldn’t have been good.

“Henry, look!” yelled Norman.

Henry whipped his head to look at the barge again, but his eyes went wide in shock. A large, white gloved hand rose from the ink and waved around, seeming to be looking for something. It reached over, its fingers finding the boat and taking it under the ink.

Henry gaped in terror. “Wally… please tell me these things can go faster.”

“Um… y--yeah, they can,” the janitor stuttered out.

The hand rose again, this time between the two boats and Henry screamed, “THEN STEP ON IT!”

Wally practically slammed his hand onto one of buttons before pushing the lever again, the boat speeding away just as the hand reached for them. The group in the boat looked behind them to see the other barge rushing away from the hand as well. The group looked ahead, narrowly avoiding some stalagmites sticking up from the ink. The chase wasn’t long, but it seemed to take forever to reach stable ground again. The hand would shoot up again and again, but Wally and Thomas would be able to get the boats away just before the hand could reach them. 

When they had reached a wooden dock, everyone was terrified. They scrambled out of the boats and onto the shores, watching the hand reach up and take both of the barges under.

“Well… looks like we can’t turn back now,” muttered Sammy. He crossed his arms and looked behind him. His face changed from slight annoyance to complete horror. “Um… Henry?”

Henry turned and his jaw dropped. Before them were buildings, tall structures of sepia colored wood that had words written on them in ink. They were similar to the messages Henry had seen before, and they seemed to have been written in haste. 

Sammy shook his head as the others walked closer to the small city, muttering in fear. “No, no, no, no, no, not here again!”

Wally turned to look at the music director. “Sam, what’s wrong?”

“I… I may not be able to remember everything, but I remember this place from my time in the ink. It’s a city of creatures, lost souls who had fallen to the ink. They aren’t employees, they’re… monsters. And… I was the only thing keeping them at bay.”

Henry slowly turned on his heels. “What… what does that mean?”

“It means… that we’re in trouble.”

A sudden screech of pain and anger rang through the air and a shape sped towards Henry, an inky hand grabbing him by the neck and throwing him to the ground. Henry looked up, only to see an inky woman with horns and a halo looking down at him. He gasped. “‘Alice?!’”

_**“YOU! HENRY! YOU LEFT ME TO DIE!”**_ The woman with the malformed face and dark dress stood over the man with an axe in her hands. She snarled. _**“You left me to rot, you fool! You think I would go down so easily!? YOU IDIOT!”**_ A few of the other humans attempted to rush towards, “Alice,” only for long hands of ink to grab them by their necks and hold them in place. “Alice’s” deep scowl turned into a wicked smile and she chuckled darkly. _**“You think I will tolerate your attempts to escape me?”**_ She suddenly raised the axe above her head and laughed, far too loud for the room. _**“This is your end, Henry! Say goodbye!”**_

Henry looked up at “Alice” in pure terror, time seeming to slow as she prepared the bring the axe down. He couldn’t believe it. She was alive and now this is how he would die. This is not how he wanted it to end. But it seems as though fate had him in its maws once more, and now he would suffer.

Just as “Alice” began to swing the axe, another blade was brought into her head, causing her to scream, before dropping her own weapon and causing her to fall to the floor. The axe was pulled from her head and Henry looked up to see… Tom, with the weapon in both of his hands, eyes narrowed. Henry threw an arm in front of his face, preparing for the worst… only for the handle of the axe to be pointed at him. The former animator gazed up at the wolf with surprise. “Tom,” he asked.

“Here. Take it,” came the reply. “You look like you could use this.”

Henry carefully took the weapon from Tom and managed to push himself up to get to his feet. He looked at his friends to see a few of them clutching their necks from when “Alice” had choked them. He turned his eyes to the body of the fallen angel, her fingers twitching, her right eye wide open.

“That was close. You’re lucky we were in the neighborhood.”

Everyone turned to see Allison walking from the dock, her sword in hand. She looked over at the body of the angel, and she gaped when her ink began to melt away. “Um…”

Henry turned back to the body and gasped. The ink was slowly falling away to reveal red heels, jeans, a pin sweater, and a red bowtie. The ink of “Alice’s” face fell more slowly, but once it was gone, it showed tanned skin on a beautiful face. The woman’s lashes were long and red lipstick shined under the lights. Her eyes had ink surrounding them. Henry carefully put down his axe and rushed to the body. He knew who this was. He had a feeling that this woman was “Alice” from the moment he heard her voice. 

Kneeling to her, Henry picked up her hand, feeling her wrist. There was a pulse. He carefully shook her and her eyes fluttered open. The woman groaned in pain. “Oh, geez… where am I?”

“Susie?”

The woman looked up to see a familiar man holding onto her. His eyes were a bright blue that she had only seen with one man. “... Henry?”

The others gasped and put their hands to their mouths, before Sammy stepped forward. “Susie, is that you?”

Susie looked behind Henry to see the others of the group, her eyes going wide. “Oh, lord! What happened to you all?!” She saw Allison and Tom and she raised a brow. “And who are those two?”

A sudden rumbling caught the ears of everyone and they looked up once more. Henry helped the former voice actress to her feet and looked to Allison. “Was that ‘him?’”

“I don’t think so. The Searchers and the Lost Ones built this place. Sammy was the one who kept them at bay for a while. But now that he’s with us…” Allison took a battle stance and brandished her blade. “Looks like we’re in for a fight!” She took some pipes and wrenches from her bag and threw them to each member of their group. “Get ready!” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Looks like the inky party is in for a fight, and they now have Susie on their side! Will they make it out from the fight?  
> Find out soon! Feel free to leave kudos and comments!


	24. Powerful Choices

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone! Woo, I am on a roll this week! I have another chapter and I'm so excited for the upcoming ones I have written!  
> More of Chapter 5 here before the more AU-ish parts come into play! Hope you enjoy!

The last of Searchers was smashed into a puddle as Henry brought his axe down upon it. The monster let out a brief screech before it was melted. He panted as he held his axe close, taking a step back just to make sure nothing else would come forth. Luckily, everything went quiet, save for the heavy pants behind him. 

The group had held their weapons steady when Allison announced that they were in for a fight. The humans and toons had then watched Searchers and Lost Ones rise from the puddles around them and charge. Allison and Tom had made the first strikes, swinging and easily knocking the monsters to the ground. They had directed most of the humans on how to fight as the battle raged, but Henry seemed well versed in close combat. And he didn’t slow very much despite his age. He just kept fighting and watching the backs of his comrades. 

When the last Searcher had disappeared into a puddle, Henry turned to all of his friends. The older ones seemed to be showing their age as they were doubled over, while the toons and younger ones weren’t showing much exhaustion. When everyone had recovered, everyone sat to tell Susie of their story once more. A far as her view, she had faint memories of her life as wicked angel. However, she didn’t remember seeing Henry, Betty, Boris, and Alice, nor did she remember turning the cartoons into monsters. 

When everyone was up to speed and understanding, Henry stood and put his axe into his belt. “We need to get moving. We’ve already been in one place for too long, and I don’t doubt that Bendy knows where we are. We need to get out of here.”

Allison stood and nodded. “Right. Henry, would you like to lead the way?”

Henry nodded, looking to a nearby gate as Allison walked over to it. She easily sliced it down with her blade and Henry took the first steps inside of a small doorway. The only way across was some wooden boards and as everyone followed his steps, the wood creaked in protest under their feet. It was when they had nearly reached the end that a crack caught their ears. Wally looked down. “Uh… Henry? I think we should--”

Before another word was said, the boards gave way under everyone’s feet and down they fell. Their screams echoed as the light of the top got further and further away. Henry reached up but knew it was futile. 

The group landed with a loud splash into another pool of ink, everyone groaning and gasping for breath when they broke the surface. A few of the crew were coughing ink up from their mouths. Henry managed to get to his feet, holding his head. God, how many times had he fallen down a hole in this studio now? It felt like a million. He turned to his friends. “Is everyone okay?”

Nods and groans of answer came forth.

Allison, who had somehow floated down much slower than the others, finally made her way into the ink and looked around. She saw something through a doorway and nudged Henry’s shoulder. “Hey, Henry… look at that.”

Henry did look, and he saw a few doors and large signs marking each of the rooms. The room to his left was marked as,  **“FILM VAULT,”** while the doorway ahead of them was marked as,  **“ADMINISTRATION.”** Henry looked to Allison with a raised brow. “Have you or Tom been here?”

“No… we didn’t know that this place went any further down than where we were.” The angel looked at a desk area to the right and stepped out of the ink. She walked over to its side, finding a door and making her way behind the desk. There, she pulled a small lever and the door to the administration hall slowly opened. Sammy climbed from the ink, looking to the left and checking the film vault door. “Henry!” He called from inside. “You might want to come take a look at this!”

The former animator followed the director and slipped into the small room. He could see a system of pipes before them, as if to drain something. He looked to his left and he could see the entrance to the film vault inside. Out of curiosity, he held up his seeing tool. There was a message in the room beyond the hallway to the vault, but he couldn’t quite make it out. 

It was only then that he noticed the hall was flooded with ink. “Well, I guess we need to find a way to drain this hall. Can you drain it from there, Sammy?”

“Henry, there are some pipes missing.”

“Those pipes were made from ink,” Thomas suddenly cut in, stepping into the room. “I would only know because I was the one who made them and put together this pipe system. Without new ones, that hall can’t be drained. There’s a machine back there that can make pipes, but we need to gather some ink to do so.”

“I can help with that.”

Everyone in the small room peeked out to see who had spoke, only to see Alice beaming with her hands clasped. She walked back to the ink they had fallen into and held out her hands. A few blobs of ink rose from the pool and began to shift and wiggle under her movements. Within a moment, the blobs had become small and round, like ice cream scoops. Alice gathered them in her arms and handed them to Thomas. 

The repairman blinked. “Well, that was easy. I guess we should put these in that machine than.” 

The group did so and soon enough, the ink was draining from the hall and into the pipes. When the door could be opened, Henry stepped down the way and held up his seeing tool. His heart dropped when he saw what the message read:

_ “THE DEMON HAS TAKEN IT” _

Henry stepped into the vault and looked down, seeing an arrow pointing into a box. He opened it as his crew entered the vault. 

“Looks like whatever was here was taken long ago.” 

Henry turned to Allison at those words, nodding. He sighed and looked down, keeping the seeing tool in his hands. He had read the messages. He had seen what they were telling him. He knew what they had to do… and it wasn’t going to be easy. 

Susie noticed the look on the former animator’s face and put a hand on his shoulder. “Henry, what’s wrong? You look troubled.”

“Look,” Henry started after some silence. “ I know where we have to go, but it’s not going to be pleasant. I’ve been looking at all the messages on the walls, all the clues from whoever it is that knows how to get out of here. They’re leading us on a trail, and it leads to here, and to… Bendy. It’s obvious what they’re telling us.” Henry closed his eyes. “The Ink Demon has something that we need… and I know what we have to do.” Henry saw everyone hold their breath. “We have to go after him.”

A sudden eruption of voices came from the group as they looked at Henry with horror.

“Are you crazy!?”

“Henry, no, that’s too dangerous!”

“Henry, you’ve seen what he can do!”

Allison held up her hands and everyone went quiet. She held up a hand as she turned her yellow gaze to Henry. “You want to go to his lair? Are you crazy?! That’s death!” 

“That’s where the trail seems to lead, Allison. I don’t know who left these messages for us, but it seems like whoever they are, they’re trying to lead us to our freedom.”

Allison sighed and shook her head. “You really are crazy, Henry. But, I think his lair is close by. It’s probably through that door. But it won’t be easy to open. I’ll need three gears, a crowbar, some kind of counter-balance…”

Tom suddenly held up a hand and walked to the door. He cracked the knuckles of his white gloved hand, before reeling his mechanical arm back and slamming it into the door.

Henry looked at him in shock. It was at that moment that he was glad he wasn’t on Tom’s bad side anymore. Who knows what he could have done to him had Allison not gotten him the trust the former animator. 

“Well, that was easy,” Wally beamed. “Now, let’s get goin’! We got an Ink Demon to catch!”

Henry led the way for the upteenth time and the doorway led them into a hallway with glass separating it from another hall. As they continued, another doorway was ahead. Henry stepped through it, and what he saw made his heart leap into his throat. 

There, hanging above a sea of ink, was the thing that had started his journey, the source of it all, the lair of Bendy: the Ink Machine. It was huge, and it hung high above their heads. Below it appeared to be some sort of entrance and a hallway. It led deep into the workings of something below the machine. Henry could feel some kind of energy emanating from the machine and all its workings. He could also feel a familiar energy, one that only came from one creature:

Bendy.

Everyone followed behind Henry and gaped at the sheer power and size of the Ink Machine. Allison spoke up. “Wow, I’ve never seen this before!” She walked to edge of the shore they were on and looked around. “I don’t see any way around… nothing to build a raft with.”

“Then I’ll have to wade through it,” Henry declared.

The group’s hearts sunk when they realized Henry didn’t refer to the rest of them, only himself. Did he mean that he was going to… Norman looked at Henry and put a hand on his shoulder. “Don’t you mean, ‘we,’ Henry?”

“No, I mean me. You guys might not like this… but I have to go in there alone.”

Betty immediately grabbed him by the shoulder and spun him around. “Uncle Henry, you are NOT going in there by yourself! That’s suicide! You know what Bendy is capable of! He’ll slaughter you if you go in there by yourself! Why are you trying to go in there without us?!”

Henry listened to every word from Betty and sighed, looking to the side. He didn’t want to tell the others of his plan, because he knew it could very well get him killed if it didn’t work. What the former animator was going to try was foolish, and it might not go according to what went on in his head.

Sighing again, Henry looked into Betty’s eyes, but spoke to his friends as a whole. “Look, I know you think I’m crazy for wanting to go in by myself. I know it sounds like I’m just trying to get myself killed. But I know what I’m doing. I… I think… I know what Joey did to Bendy while I was gone.”

Betty pulled her hands back. “What… what do you mean?”

“Bendy said some things when he had chased me to the elevator. Said things about me being a traitor and abandoning Joey. I think… he brainwashed Bendy into thinking I was the traitor here. He twisted his point of view so that I was the bad guy… when the man who fits the bill is the one whose bidding he’s doing. He’s brainwashed my child… my creation… into thinking that he’s supposed to kill me; that killing me will fix all this. And… I have to rip out those lies that have been rooted in. They’re what’s controlling him. But… I have a feeling that the Little Devil Darling is still somewhere in there, and if I can get him out without having to kill him, than I will. If not… well, you know what will happen.”

Everyone stared at Henry in shock. They didn’t say a word, but Henry turned back to the machine. He put on a brave face and begin to make his way to it. Before he could get to the edge of the shore, a hand was put on his shoulder. He looked to see Allison with a sincere gaze. “Henry… we can’t stop you. But… please, be careful. We want to see you again.” She smiled and let out a chuckle. “It’s time… set us free, Henry.”

He nodded and stepped into the ink, wading across until had had reached the entrance. He looked back, seeing all his friends waving and cheering him on. He took a mental picture of them all. If he didn’t make it out of this, he might as well have one last memory of his beloved friends.

Henry faced forward. He took slow steps. This was it. It had led to this and he wasn’t going to back down.

It was time to fight his demon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Looks like it's time for Henry to face his demon! But will he make it out alive? Find out soon!


	25. Hell Hath No Fury Like a Demon Scorned

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, guys! I've got another new chapter for you all! I'm just loving how these chapters are coming out! This one was so fun to write!  
> Hope you enjoy!

The halls within the room of the Ink Machine were tall, wide, and held living ink figures that stared him down as Henry continued down the hallways. He could see a door ahead with a lever to open it. He gulped as he drew ever closer. He had felt fear before in the war, but something about not knowing what to expect filled him with more terror than he had ever known. He didn’t know what was going to happen.

And the thought that something could go wrong and end with his death… it filled Henry with the worst feeling of dread. 

He pulled the lever and the door slid open. He could see something inside of a circular room ahead. As he drew closer, he could see what it was and it made his heart sink. Inside the room was a throne sitting upon a pile of ink, with gears acting as stairs to the chair. Around the throne, hanging above it, were screens showing various cartoons from the studio, Bendy and his friends flashing before him. Henry reached the room and he heard the door close behind him. “What…” Henry shook his head and curled his hands into fists. “Bendy!” he called out into the room, his voice echoing and bouncing back to him. “I know you’re here! Show yourself!”

At first, everything was silent. Nothing moved, nothing happened. But a hand came into view from behind the throne, then another, and soon, there he stood in all his glory. The Ink Demon. The Not-So-Little Devil Darling. Bendy himself. His signature grin turned into a frown and the ink began to drip down his face at a rapid pace. 

**_“Ah, I see ya have made yourself known to me once again, Henry,”_ ** came his echoing, darkened tone. It was much different than the voice Henry knew for his creation, but it didn’t faze him. He couldn’t be afraid now. He had to be brave. He had been a soldier, damn it. He had looked death in the eyes before.

Henry glared at the demon, his blue eyes focused on the monster and nothing more. “Bendy… I have come, not to fight, but to speak with you.”

Bendy seemed intrigued by Henry’s words. The ink covering his face didn’t hide the sudden surprise on his features. He climbed over the throne and dropped to the ground, making the room shake. He crossed his gangly arms over his chest.  **_“And what would dat be about, old man?”_ **

Henry gulped. He was slightly intimidated by the eight foot height of the Ink Demon, despite his own height of six feet, but he shrugged it off. He looked up into the unseen eyes of Bendy and cleared his throat. “Bendy… this isn’t you. You weren’t meant to be this monster. You were meant for fun and mischief, not nightmares and murder. You’re the Dancing Demon. You shouldn’t have to go through this. Joey… he’s wrong, Bendy. He’s wrong about whatever he said about me. You should know this.” 

The room shook again, but much more violently this time. Bendy stomped a foot and put his arms down at his sides, clenching his fists.  **_“SHUT UP! YOU KNOW NOTHING ABOUT JOEY!”_ ** The Ink Demon growled and glared at the man.  **_“He told me everythin’ about ya, Henry! How ya left because ya lied about how he treated you! He gave ya everythin’, and what did ya do?! YA ABANDONED HIM! Ya turned your back on him, and us! Us toons! He told me how much of a liar and jerk ya really are!”_ **

Henry couldn’t help but tremble a bit, his face turning more saddened than frightened. He couldn’t believe what he was hearing. So Joey really did brainwash Bendy. He probably didn’t even remember what Joey had done to turn him into this beast, and the thought that Bendy didn’t even remember who he was broke Henry’s heart. Henry reached out a hand and Bendy immediately bared his teeth, bringing out his claws. “Bendy, I promise, I’m not here to hurt you,” Henry cooed. “I just need you to know the truth.”

**_“I DO know the truth, Henry!”_ ** shouted the Dancing Demon.  **_“And the truth is that you left Joey to rot! You left us all to rot in the financial abyss this studio was going through! If you hadn’t left, Joey would be a sane man! He would be okay, Henry! But no… you had to leave for your own selfish reasons! And now… now… I’m going to make. You. Pay.”_ **

Before Henry could say another word, Bendy lunged like a wild animal and screeched. Henry barely moved to the side in time for the beast to crash into a nearby wall. He shook his head and growled, whipping his head to glare at the man. Henry shook his head and held up his hands in a “I don’t want to hurt you” manner. Bendy screamed again and swung his arm out, knocking Henry into a wall and making him crash through it. The former animator cried out in pain and rolled to a stop several yards away, holding his side as he felt like some of his ribs had cracked. 

Henry managed to push himself up after a few rough coughs and noticed that he was no longer in the throne room, but instead in a long maze of hallways with living ink figures staring him down from their prisons. He heard a loud rumbling and saw Bendy come from an ink portal into the hall. Henry quickly hid behind a corner, his breathing turning rapid and his heart pounding against his ribcage. He didn’t know where Bendy was but he could hear his footsteps.

**_“Where are ya, Henry?! I know you’re somewhere in here! Face me like a man!”_ **

Henry noticed a door not too far from him, and he looked around. There had to be some lever to open the door. A small object caught his attention and he saw what he was looking for: a lever. He ran to it and pulled it, a loud creak echoing down the halls. 

Bendy heard the noise and turned on his heels, seeing Henry far down the hall with terror on his face.  **_“THERE YA ARE, YA COWARD!”_ **

Henry took off as fast as his legs could carry him down one of the halls as Bendy charged on all fours. He rounded a couple of corners before hiding around one of them, seeing Bendy run past him. He ran to where he saw another lever, before taking off again, repeating this cycle until all of the doors had been opened and he could make a run for it.

Henry could hear Bendy still looking for him, yelling and running around. Henry pushed his tired body as hard as he could, making his way into another large room. The door slammed closed behind him. In this room, the former animator could see several large tubes filled with ink and a couple more screens being projected upon. He could also see a valve and some buttons along the wall. 

Henry knew that turning that valve was probably a bad idea. But maybe it would distract Bendy long enough for him to escape. Turning the valve, Henry could hear ink flowing through the pipes behind him, and the sound of a door opening, but he also heard…

The sound of ink dripping.

Henry turned on his heels in panic, seeing an ink portal forming on the wall. He gasped and made a run for it, hearing wicked, gurgled laughter through the portal. 

**_“HENRY! YA CAN’T RUN FOREVER, HENRY!”_ **

The man ran, ran and didn’t look back. He knew that if he stopped now, he was dead where he stood. He was terrified, even more scared than any time he had been in the war. He had thought that he had seen the worst of what could happen to him in the war, but this was beyond anything he could have imagined. 

Henry realized he had made his way into the hall that stood before Bendy’s throne room. He turned to see the throne of his crooked empire and ran to it, hiding behind it. He slid down onto his rear end, taking his axe from his belt and holding it close. Henry knew that at any moment, Bendy would pop out from one of the walls and find him. At this point, he realize he wouldn’t be able to talk sense into Bendy. He was too far gone. Seems he had no choice but to really fight him.

The former animator could hear a portal forming again, and he began to tremble. This was it. This is what everything had led to. He had no choice but to fight his demon and take back the studio. He peeked out from behind the throne, turning his head to look over his shoulder…

Only to be grabbed by a large inky hand coming from the wall behind the throne. He gasped as the hand wrapped around his arms and chest, causing him to drop his axe and kick his legs. The arm was reaching from the portal, and within a moment, Bendy had stepped out, holding onto Henry with one hand, the other taking his axe and throwing it to the side. 

The Ink Demon’s grin grew wider, his mouth stretching to a point beyond human as he held the man and looked down at him. Henry bit his lip as ink from the monster dripped onto his head, closing his eyes tightly.

Bendy could see the horrified face of the traitor and he cackled, throwing his head back.  **_“Well, well, well… isn’t this quite the predicament, Henry? Isn’t it so sad how all your efforts to save everyone failed so easily? Out there, they’re waitin’ for ya. They’re waitin’ for ya to emerge victorious. But ya know what? You… are… wrong. You’re foolish. Ya had your chance to escape, and ya threw it away. Now… now you’re in my grasp again, and this time, I won’t be lettin’ ya get away so easily.”_ ** Bendy raised his other hand and bared his claws.  **_“Say goodbye, Henry Stein.”_ **

Time slowed as Henry was dropped, but he didn’t even hit the ground before Bendy took the claws of his white gloved hand and shot them forward. Henry gasped and closed his eyes, searing pain beginning to take shape in his body as those claws plunged into his chest. Bendy screeched out as he stabbed the man, his cry echoing off the metal walls and bouncing back to him.

Henry gasped in a sharp breath, before he wailed in agony, his lungs beginning to burn up and his chest taken by a pain he couldn’t describe. He screamed as Bendy cried out, their yelling reverberating all throughout the halls of the Ink Machine room. Then, everything went silent. 

As soon as Bendy’s claws entered his torso, Henry felt a deep seeded pain like acid being poured into his chest and entering his bloodstream. It started in one place but spread through him and made him grab onto Bendy’s arm. Tears welled up in his blue eyes and his voice was strained as he let out a sob. He was being pinned to the throne, hanging above the floor. Blood began to patter onto the ground as it fell from Henry’s wound, lightly soaking his shirt and falling down his chest. 

The Ink Demon saw those bright blue eyes look up at him with so much dread and he snarled.  **_“Don’t look at me dat way, old man! You’re not as innocent as ya say, and I know it! Joey told me everythin’ about you, and you should know that, this time, ya ain’t makin’ it out alive! Ya think ya did the right thing walkin’ away from Joey?! YA LEFT HIM IN SHAMBLES, HENRY! YA BROKE HIS HEART AND RUINED EVERYTHIN’ HE WORKED FOR!”_ **

Henry winced from the raised voice hitting his ears. He managed to blink and tears fell from his eyes as he did so. He opened his mouth to say something to Bendy, but a rough cough escaped his lips instead. Blood dribbled from the corner of his lips, spilling off his chin and joining the liquid forming a puddle below him. He looked down at the hand in his chest and hung his head.

This was it. This is how he was going to die. He had done everything right. He had done everything to save his friends and keep them safe. He had even told them to stay in their place outside the rooms to save them from Bendy’s wrath. And what did that get him? A painful death at the hands of his own creation, from his Little Devil Darling himself. Hell, if Henry had known what Joey was doing, he would have come back without a thought. But… it seems as though it was too late for that. Now, he was going to die. He was going to bleed out by the hands of his cartoon creation…

Wait. Henry lifted his head, spitting some of the coppery fluid from his mouth. He could feel Bendy trembling a little, and he could see something in his frown. Something that said… that the Dancing Demon was still in there. Henry put his hands on Bendy’s arm again. This time, his eyes were filled not with dread… but with hope. 

_ THERE’S ALWAYS HOPE. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uh oh! Seems like this is the end of Henry! Will he make it out alive, or has he met his match?  
> Feel free to leave kudos and comments!


	26. There's Always Hope

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, guys! I have another chapter for you!   
> I have about five more chapters ready and will be posting them within this weekend! With where I'm at, we'll be at the end in no time!  
> I hope you enjoy this chapter!

Bendy snarled, huffing out as he felt Henry put hands on his arm. The man was bleeding ever so slowly with the hand of the Ink Demon still in his chest. He wanted to rip that hand out, but something was stopping him from doing so. Something… about the blue gaze now on him was keeping him from finishing the job. 

_ Why? _

This was the traitor, the man who abandoned the toons and Joey, called them things of hell and left them to spiral down with the studio. He  _ needed _ to kill him for everything to be fixed. He needed to do this.

But something about Henry’s eyes was stopping Bendy. Those eyes were no longer filled with dread… but with hope. Bendy moved his claws the slightest bit, making the former animator cry out in pain. However, despite his gritted teeth and tears on his cheeks, he never lost that determination on his face. The Demon shook his head.  **_“Quit lookin’ at me like dat, Henry! You should be beggin’ for mercy right now! Ya should be askin’ me to give ya another chance! But… WHAT THE HELL ARE YA DOIN’?! QUIT LOOKIN’ AT ME LIKE DAT!”_ **

Henry shook his head. “N--N...No, Bendy,” Henry stuttered out in a hoarse voice. “I--I won’t… stop. Bendy… thi--s isn’t… isn’t you. You know this. Th--is is not… who you are. You’re the Dancing--Demon, the Little… De--vil Darling. You’re… you’re no--not meant to kill people. You were… meant to make people laugh and cheer.”

Bendy began to shake at those words. Henry… was he right? He didn’t remember anything about who he was before Joey brought him into the world as this beast. But something about what the former animator was saying began to stir long lost memories; memories that had been forced to stay in the back of his mind. It was all starting to come back now…

_ People around him in the studio, laughing as he danced and joked. The people of Joey Drew Studios were laughing and cheering for him! They were all so genuine and loved him. Boris was always by his side and cared for him dearly. And he cared for the wolf too. And when he was gone, Alice was there, making him laugh as he caused mischief. And then… what happened? _

_ Then it hit him. Joey. Joey Drew. And the ritual. _

Bendy snarled and shook his head violently. He remembered all this, but Joey had always told him the reason he had to make him into a monster was because of… because of Henry. The Ink Demon was told that should Henry have not left, things would have been better, been great even! But… the things that Joey had told him were deeply rooted. And he believed them.

Turning back to Henry, Bendy growled again.  **_“Shut up! I suffered this fate because of your selfish reasons! Ya had to go with dat gal and because ya hated Joey, despite dat he made all your dreams come true! YA HAD YOUR NAME IN LIGHTS, HENRY!”_ **

Henry shook his own head. “No… Bendy. I never had m--my name… known. Joey… he took all the--the credit for your creation.” Those words made the Not-So-Little Devil Darling tilt his head. “You… you were  _ my _ creation, Bendy. And Joey… tried--tried to steal you… from me. That… wasn’t why I left though.”

The demon scoffed.  **_“And just what was the reason ya left, liar? TELL ME OR I’LL RIP YA IN HALF!”_ **

Henry winced. He was very uncomfortable hanging in the air and the pain was getting worse by the second. He took a few very deep breaths to avoid crying out again. He swallowed the need to wail down and looked back to Bendy. “I was--was… drafted.”

The surprise that took the demon’s ink covered face was quite visible.  **_“Are ya sayin’... ya went to a war?”_ **

“Yes… I--I did. I was… drafted. I had--no choice… but to… go to war, Be--Bendy.”

Bendy shook his head again as he began to tremble.  **_“No… no… no, dat’s not true! Joey said ya left because ya threw all this away for a dame.”_ **

Henry pulled his hands back from the Ink Demon’s arm and slowly rolled up his sleeves. Along his arms were faint pinkish lines, scars from long ago. “Bendy… I got these--from… from the war. I… I got tr--trapped under rubble… in the war and… and nearly--died. I would--have had some men from… from my--company not seen the building collapse.” 

Bendy’s whole body was beginning to tremble badly. He didn’t want to believe what Henry was saying. He wanted to believe what Joey had told him, but those lies that had been rooted so deeply in his mind were slowly being ripped out. Joey had always been there for him and told him the truth no matter what. Bendy frowned deeply.  **_“Wait… dat’s why ya left? A war?”_ **

“Yes… I told Joey… I had to--to go to war, an--and he… he was infuriated with me. He--he said he would… find a--a way so--I could stay here. He always… always had a solution to everything… even if it wasn’t con--ventio--nal.” As Henry spoke, his voice was getting weaker, his heart slowing its once rapid pace and his breathing getting more shallow. His chest hurt so badly and he was gradually losing his focus on Bendy. “I… I told him--that… there… was no way around this. And--and he… he lost it. We got into a fight… and I stomped--out--of--the studio, never looking back.” 

He put a hand on Bendy’s white gloved hand. “Bendy… I didn’t even know you existed until… until you--found--me and… and Betty explai--ned what happened… while I was gone. I’m… I’m so sorry. I’m sorry--that--I couldn’t be here. I… I didn’t know you were real. I… I didn’t know what--what Joey was doing. I just… I couldn’t… I never would have--have guessed what he was doing here. I should… have come--back--sooner. I shouldn’t… have left this place… in--his--hands. I’m… I’m truly sorry, Bendy. I’m your creator… and you’re my creation. I sh--should have… stayed and took… care of… you. I’m just… I’m so sorry.”

Every word Henry had said had cut through him like a knife, and he found his deep scowl turning into a saddened frown. So… Joey had been wrong? Henry… he really didn’t betray them? Everything Joey had told him… was a lie? Part of him didn’t want to believe it, part of him said Joey was right, but the genuine tone of his voice and something about the way Henry spoke erased everything he thought he knew about his creator. Joey… Joey had  _ lied _ to him. He was  _ wrong. _

Bendy suddenly let out a shuddering noise. All of the emotions suddenly flooding into his head were… were overwhelming and he found inky tears beginning to roll down his face as he stood there with his hand still in Henry’s chest.  **_“No… no, Henry. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”_ ** The Ink Demon wiped away the ink dripping down his face, revealing big pie cut eyes spilling over with tears. Henry seemed surprised when he did this.  **_“Henry, I… I had no idea. I thought… I… Joey told me ya betrayed him. That ya… ya lied about how he treated ya. That… he… he_ ** **_lied_ ** **_to me, Henry. He told me so many things about ya, things that painted ya as the bad guy. But… I… I know now. He was… a lyin’ bastard! HE LIED TO ME!_ ** **_HE LIED!_ ** **_”_ **

Bendy looked at Henry with the ink beginning to drip down his face again.  **_“Henry… I didn’t know. I didn’t… I didn’t even think about if Joey was tellin’ the truth or not. I… I see now. I… I was wrong. I’m… I’m so sorry. I didn’t… I didn’t know.”_ **

Henry smiled ever so softly. “It’s… it’s okay, Bendy. I… it’s not your fault.” He finished that sentence in a soft whisper, but Bendy nodded, Henry knowing he had heard him. His smile quickly faded and was replaced with a pained and saddened face as he groaned in pain. Everything was hurting so badly and he could feel himself slipping ever so closer to the edge of death. He was hanging on by a thread, forcing himself to keep his eyes open. Henry coughed violently, before managing to get out, “Be… Bendy.”

Bendy looked up from his sorrow, noticing Henry’s condition. He gasped. Oh, no… what had he done?

Bendy slowly, ever so carefully, began to remove his claws from Henry’s chest, hearing the human wail out as he did so. The strained voice broke his blackened heart and shook him to his core. Never had he heard such cries and it made his heart clench. Henry was really dying and it was all his fault. 

As the Ink Demon removed his claws, Henry began to fall to the ground, but was caught in the air by the inky monster. He was suddenly cradled in Bendy’s arms as the beast looked him over. Henry couldn’t help but curl up, wrapping his arms around his chest and bringing his knees close to his chest. Everything hurt, he was in agony. Not even when he was trapped under the rubble of a collapsed building in the war was he in this much pain. He was used to hurting, but not like this. He whimpered as Bendy brought him close to his inky ribcage. 

Bendy looked over Henry, feeling blood dripping down his hands and pattering onto the floor. Oh, no… oh no, what had he done?! Henry was… his lifeforce was melting away right in front of the Ink Demon and he sobbed, biting his lip.  **_“Oh.. oh, no. Henry… Henry, I--I’m--I’m so sorry. I… please, please stay alive! Please, don’t die! I… I can fix this! I can fix this! Please, just, don’t die!”_ **

Henry didn’t seem to react to Bendy’s words, only laid in his arms with half closed, almost glassy eyes. The dripping sound of his life fluid spilling out was intermittent and that wasn’t good. Henry was so very afraid that he was going to die. He didn’t want to die, but he was wounded heavily and he knew he wasn’t going to survive injuries like these. He reached a shaking hand up to his creation, but it fell quickly.

Bendy shook his head, panic taking him over. He needed to do something! Henry was bleeding so much and he couldn’t heal those wounds himself! He didn’t have the power to heal anyone else, only himself. He needed to get him to someone who could heal him. But… but who could do that?

Then it hit him: the angel. The one with the sword.

Bendy took off into a sprint, heading towards the entrance to the Ink Machine room’s halls. He had seen the angel on the shores, he knew she could fix Henry up.

He just had to make it in time.

*****

Betty paced back and forth on the shores to the ocean of ink. Her heel clicked rapidly as she took steps back and forth, her hands clasped in front of her chest.

After Henry had made his way through the ocean of ink and into the rooms of the machine’s resting place, everyone had sat and talked, the humans speaking about their lives outside of Joey Drew Studios, before they were pulled into the inky madness of their former boss. They all seemed to be doing quite well.

Allison and Tom had told the others about their existence, how they barely remembered being ink monsters before throwing themselves into the machine and taking their current forms. They had said that it was a strange experience, but it had been worth it to help some of the Lost Ones who were more friendly and helped in their journey to try and defeat Susie and Bendy.

Ms. Pendle could see Betty’s pacing getting faster and her face was very worried. The voice actress stood and stopped her, putting a hand on the other woman’s shoulder. “Betty, I’m sure Henry will make it out okay. He’s a tough old man and I’ve seen what he can do. I’m sure he’ll get through to Bendy.”

Betty shook her head. “I know, Ms. Pendle, but… I just… what if he doesn’t make it out? What if this is all for naught? Henry will have died for nothing!”

“Betty, you need to try and stay calm. Henry is a tough man, and if there’s even a shred of who Bendy once was somewhere in there, I have a feeling Henry can bring it forth and change him.”

Quick, loud footsteps caught the attention of everyone, making them all stand to look to the halls of the machine’s room. Betty raised a brow. Those weren’t Henry’s steps…

Gasps escaped everyone’s lips when suddenly, out burst Bendy… with Henry being carried in his arms.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Looks like Henry has gotten through to Bendy! But can the group save him?  
> Feel free to leave comments and kudos! I may upload another chapter later tonight!


	27. Saving Henry

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone! I've got another chapter! We're getting closer to the final battle and I'm just so excited to put these chapters out!  
> This one has a lot of Henry hurting, so there's that.  
> Enjoy!

Everyone in the group drew their weapons as Bendy stepped out of the halls of the Ink Machine room, but they lowered their weapons at seeing Henry in his arms. He had blood soaking into his once crisp white shirt, his eyes clenched shut and his body was almost limp in Bendy’s arms. Tears streamed down the sides of his face as he whimpered, trying to push himself closer to Bendy. 

Allison and Tom were at the front of the group, brandishing their pipe and sword. However, they lowered their weapons when Bendy began to cry out, inky tears on his cheeks. 

**_“Please, ya have to help him! He’s… he’s dyin’! I stabbed my claws through his chest and out his back! Please, ya have to fix him!”_ ** Bendy heard Henry let out a sob of agony and he let out a frustrated cry.  **_“I… I didn’t know he wasn’t a traitor! I didn’t know that Joey had lied to me! Please just--just… I didn’t--”_ **

Allison heard the demon stuttering in obvious worry and that was when she noticed Henry’s wounds. He had holes in his shirt and blood was dripping off him, off Bendy’s hands, and into the ink. She looked up to the demon’s face with wide eyes and she gestured for Bendy to bring him to them.

As soon as Bendy walked towards them, everyone backed away and held up their weapons, not knowing what to expect from the monster. This is the beast who had been hunting them all and trying to kill them by Joey’s orders. And yet, here he was, begging for forgiveness and for them to save Henry’s life. The group all glanced at each other. This didn’t seem right, something was wrong about this.

Bendy made his way to the shore, easily stepping onto the rock. Allison and Tom looked at Henry and he managed to open his eyes. They were hazy and full of tears. Allison was still very wary of the demon, but held up her arms, Bendy placing Henry into her arms. She looked down at the former animator. His face was of pure pain and a bit of fear as he wrapped his arms around his chest. Tom helped move Henry’s arms to see his wounds and both the angel and the wolf nearly gagged at seeing the depth and severity of the injuries.

Allison looked back at her friends. “Alice!” she shouted. “Can you use your powers and make a bed for Henry?”

Alice nodded, running to edge of the shore and holding out her hands. She pulled up ink from the ocean of the stuff, forming it into a rectangle that Henry could lay on and putting it farther from the edge. Allison put her arms under Henry’s shoulders, Tom holding his legs as they moved him. “Easy,” Tom voiced after hearing a whimper. “He’s in a lot of pain.” 

As soon as Henry was lying down, he closed his eyes and sobbed loudly. He was in agony he had never felt before. His chest was aching so much, his limbs were burning, and his head felt like it was going to explode. His heartbeat was slowing by the minute and his breathing was getting shallow. His vision was blurry from his tears and everything was hard to see. Henry could see shapes leaning over him, but couldn’t tell who they were.

Allison and Betty leaned over Henry, Allison opening his shirt to see the wounds better. There was heavy bleeding and the man’s chest was practically stained with the crimson color. Betty put her hands on what wounds she could, trying to stem the flow of blood, making Henry cry out in pain. Even the slightest flow of air or the smallest touch hurt. Allison looked up to the Ink Demon. “Bendy, what in the name of the studio did you do to him?!”

**_“I--I told ya, I stabbed him with my claws!”_ ** Bendy shouted. Worry was hitting him like a falling pile of rocks. One second he hated this man and wished to see him dead, the next, he was praying that he would get him help in time. He couldn’t help but sob when he heard Henry cry out. He was dying and it was all his fault. He barely kept him from bleeding out and now Henry might not make it out. 

Allison moved her gaze back to Henry as he coughed loudly, blood dribbling from his lips. He was in so much pain, his whole body burning and aching. This was it. This is how he was going to die. He wanted so much to be back at home with his wife, peacefully spending time with her, but no, he just  _ had _ to do what Joey asked of him. He didn’t even know what he was doing here or why this was all happening to him, but Henry never wanted it to end like this.

He looked over at a tall black shape he could only make out as Bendy, and his deep frown curved into a very soft, pained smile. “Be… Ben--Bendy.”

The Ink Demon’s face turned to surprise, his hands balled up close to his chest. He crouched down to get to Henry’s level.  **_“Hen… Henry, you--you don’t gotta…”_ **

Henry shook his head. He needed to say this. “I’m… I’m sorry.”

Bendy gave out another shuddering noise, wiping his face.  **_“This is my fault! This is all my fault! I should have listened to him when he wanted to talk! I SHOULD HAVE LISTENED! JOEY FILLED MY HEAD WITH LIES AND NOW I KILLED HENRY BECAUSE OF HIS LIES!”_ **

Allison stood and looked at Bendy, pointing to him. “You need to calm down, Bendy! He’s not going to die. I can assure you that much. You need to stay calm for him though. We don’t want Henry to get worked up or else he could bleed out. You just need to keep calm.” She then kneeled back to the floor, Bendy trying to compose himself.

Betty shook her head. “I don’t think I can stop the bleeding, there’s just too much of it,” she told Allison. “His injuries are too deep. Isn’t there something you can do?”

The angel raised a brow. “What do you mean?”

“You’re one of the angels here! You must be able to do something!”

The angel tapped her chin. “Well… there is something I can do, but I’ve never tried it on a human before. I don’t know if it’ll work on Henry… but I can try it.” Allison stood and walked over to the shore, holding up her hands and wiggling her fingers. Ink began to rise in between her hands, moving and shifting as though alive. She took a large blob of ink and walked with it back to her spot by Henry. She kneeled and looked into those barely open blue eyes. Henry was looking up at her with evident fear, not knowing what she was about to do.

Allison sighed. This is probably the only thing that could save Henry, and she didn’t even know if it would really work. Closing her eyes, Allison began to move her hands in circles, the ink shifting again and again. Finally, she lifted her hands and shouted, “Atramentum sit sanitas!” The ink suddenly shot down into Henry’s wounds and into his bloodstream. 

At first, Henry was quiet, barely making any sounds other than his breathing. But that silence was broken as the former animator screamed at the very top of his lungs. He arched his back upwards, clenching his fists and tightly closing his eyes. Henry’s breaths became rapid as a sudden rush of hot blood and cold ink flowed through his veins. His body jolted a bit, his eyes still shut as he attempted to lessen the pain.

Everyone around Henry gasped and put hands over their mouths as he wailed again, turning onto his side and gritting his teeth. He attempted to bite his lip to stop his cries but that proved futile as he sobbed and screamed again. He turned onto his back again. Henry’s sounds were of pure pain and he couldn’t find any position or anything that would make him more comfortable. He was being forced to take this pain in its purest form. 

The members of their party were watching Henry writhe and cry out, and Allison could feel her heart break. Though this process would help Henry’s wounds heal quicker, she didn’t realize he would be in so much agony. There was something she could try to make him feel less pain, but like her healing method, she didn’t know if it would work on a human. 

Henry whimpered and tears streamed down his face as he lay there. His whole body burned and ached so badly and he could hardly breathe. He suddenly felt cold flesh close to him, and he opened his eyes to see Allison leaning down so her face was next to his. He looked at her with deep concern, before she placed a kiss on his cheek.

Slowly, but surely, the pain lessened, lightening up and leaving his form. Henry’s cries turned into very soft whimpers and stuttering breaths, until, finally, the pain was gone. Henry lay there once it was over, his breaths very slow and his eyes closed again. There were still tears on his face and he had a hand over his chest. However, he wasn’t screaming, he wasn’t bleeding, and he was able to get air into his system.

Henry stayed there, limp as a ragdoll, until he felt a small nudge to his shoulder. He opened his eyes to see Betty by his side, the rest of his friends in circle around him. Bendy was behind Betty, his frown full of concern. 

Betty softly spoke, her voice as gentle as a summer breeze. “Henry… are you okay?”

Henry hesitated to speak, afraid it would hurt him if he did. However, it would be best to answer. “I.. I…” His voice was very weak and hoarse, but he continued. “I… I think so, Betty. I’m… I’m not--hurting anymore.”

Sighs of relief came from his friends. “Thank God,” Wally spoke. “Henry, we… we didn’t think you were gonna make it.” He pointed to the entrance of the halls to the Ink Machine. “We saw Bendy comin’ out with you in his arms… and… we thought you were dead.” 

Henry looked over to the Ink Demon in question. He was fidgeting with his hands, his white gloved one still covered in some of Henry’s blood. He turned his head to look back at his human and toon friends. He felt soft hands hold onto one of his hands, and that was when he saw Alice and Boris by his side. Their eyes were both spilling over with inky tears. Boris was the first to speak. “Dad… are you gonna be okay?”

Allison put a hand on Boris’ shoulder. “I think so, Boris. That ink is going to work on his wounds. He should be completely healed up in a week or two. It may take him another week to get his strength back though.”

Everyone nodded. Henry took his hand from his chest and looked down. His shirt was soaked in blood and it had five large holes in the front, and now doubt the back was in the same condition. However, he was still alive. Very weak and wounded, but alive. And he had his friends with him, so that lifted his spirits a bit.

Henry grunted as he pushed himself up with his arms. He was trying to sit up, and when Tom noticed this, he put his arms behind the man, being mindful of his wounds. Henry grunted again and managed to get himself up. He sat there, his hands on his lap, his eyes closed. Everything was a little blurry and he could feel how puffy his eyes were from crying.

The group sat down on the shore, Bendy staying crouched. Henry took deep breaths until he could open his eyes and look up. Bendy put his smaller hand on Henry’s shoulder.  **_“Henry… are ya okay?”_ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, looks like Henry is gonna be okay! But what will the gang do now?  
> Feel free to leave comments and kudos if you enjoy this story!


	28. Stained Healing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Another chapter for you all today! I'm really excited because we're only a few chapters away from the end! Once I finish this story, I will have finished a fanfic for the first time in years! And I'll have a complete outline for my comic that this fic started from!  
> I hope you enjoy!

Henry nodded very softly in answer to Bendy’s question. “Yes…” came his weak voice. “I’m… I’m fine. I’m just… tired, and I feel very weak. I… I don’t feel any pain, but I don’t have very much energy right now.” 

Bendy nodded and tilted his head, wiping away the ink on his face again. He didn’t know if Henry was going to make it out when he removed his claws, but now he knew that the man would be okay after some recovery time. Human bodies needed time to heal and get their energy back, unlike toons like himself. But something about Henry’s words made him know that his creator would be okay. He sighed softly.

Alice scooted closer to her father, resting her head on his arm. Henry noticed this and gently stroked her hair. His inky daughter put her hands on his arm, not wanting him to hurt anymore. 

The room was silent as everyone stayed by Henry, not wanting him to hurt anymore. Even Bendy sat down, his gangly arms behind his back. When a few minutes had passed, Allison looked at Henry and asked, “Henry… how are you feeling?”

“I’m... I’m so tired,” was his answer. “I feel very weak, and hungry, and just… I want to go home. I’m so tired, guys. I never wanted all of this to happen. I never wanted anyone to get hurt, or have to suffer because of my leaving the studio. It was stupid of me to leave.” He bowed his head and shook it. “I shouldn’t have left the studio, I should have stayed here. If I had, Joey wouldn’t have made you all suffer like this…” He looked to Bendy, whose eyes had been covered by the ink again. “And he wouldn’t have turned this place into such a hellhole. I’m just… I don’t know if I can forgive myself for all this.”

Bendy reached a hand over and squeezed Henry’s shoulder a tiny bit.  **_“Henry, ya told me yourself: ya didn’t have a choice. Ya were drafted. Ya did your duty to dis country and ya did what ya had to. Ya don’t have to apologize. It’s Joey’s fault dat all dis happened. He was the one who let the ink take his mind and wrap around his heart. You’re not to blame, Joey is.”_ **

Henry sighed. “But, if I hadn’t left, he wouldn’t have turned to such methods to make you guys real. He wouldn’t have let the ink take him if I was here to talk him out of it.”

**_“Henry, ya couldn’t have known what he was doin’. Ya were busy livin’ your life and ya couldn’t have known. It’s not your fault; not even in the slightest.”_ ** Bendy looked away.  **_“I… I see that now. Joey was a big liar and he ruined so many lives with his madness. Ya didn’t do anything wrong, Henry.”_ **

Bendy’s words were surprisingly reassuring and the former animator found a small smile crossing his face. Henry felt a lot better after he spoke… mentally, at least. He was still very weak, but he had a feeling that he was going to be better soon. 

Allison saw some ink drip from Bendy’s hand onto Henry’s arm and she stood. “You know, we should see if we can get you out of this form, Bendy. I have a feeling being like that is uncomfortable now.”

Bendy nodded.  **_“Yeah… I don’t really wanna be like dis anymore. It’s… not comfortable or painless. But, how we gonna fix me? Joey used some pretty heavy magic to turn me into dis.”_ **

Allison smiled and looked to Alice. “Alice, you wanna help me with getting him back to normal?”

Alice looked up and stood. “Okay. What do you need me to do?” 

The taller angel whispered to the smaller angel, gesturing with one hand. When she finished, the two angels walked to Bendy, ushering him into the ink below the shore. Bendy was a little confused as to what they were going to do, but decided to let them work. 

Alice stood on one side of Bendy, Allison on the other, both holding out their hands. They began to murmur as they shifted their arms, willing the ink to fall away from the Ink Demon’s form. Bendy groaned, putting his arms around his chest as the angels went to work. The process to transform him into this monster had not been painless, so he had expected for the transformation to his normal form would be the same way. He began to shake as his ink fell from his body in large clumps, causing him to shrink by the hands of his friends. Slowly, but surely, the demon changed shape and size, until in the sea of ink, there was Bendy. The real Bendy, the Dancing Demon, the Little Devil Darling. There was the Bendy meant for mischief and fun. 

Bendy had had his eyes closed, and when he opened them, he could see the humans and toons gazing at him with wide eyes. Bendy blinked, before making his way to the shore. As soon as he stepped out of the ink and onto the rock, he fell to his hands and knees, bowing his head. He groaned again.

Henry could see that Bendy was in distress and forced himself to roll onto all fours as well. He began to make his way to the Devil Darling, despite protests from the others. They kept telling him that he would only hurt himself more, but the former animator ignored their pleas. He needed to make sure that Bendy was alright. “Bendy,” he asked weakly. “Are… are you--okay?”

The demon took some deep breaths, before looking up and nodding. His cute, tiny voice came forth, the real voice he had. “Ugh… yeah, I’m--I’m fine, Henry. Just… feelin’ a little sick. Transformations take a lot outta ya.”

Henry nodded, before bowing his own head and beginning to tremble. “Oh, God, help me,” he sobbed out. Sammy and Norman ran to his sides and picked him up under his arms, carefully moving him back to the bed. Henry laid on his side, keeping his hands close to his chest.

Allison looked over the man and gave him another kiss, just in case the anesthetic effects from the first wore off. She looked over to the humans and cartoons. “Well, what should we do now?”

“I… I think we should find somewhere a little safer,” voiced Sammy. “I have no doubt that when Joey finds out we’ve turned Bendy back to normal, he’ll be after us. The city of the Lost Ones and Searchers is probably our safest bet right now.” 

Tom nodded. “Than let’s move.”

*****

Henry was lying down, his breathing soft and slow as he turned onto his back. The humans watched him for a few moments, before leaving the room, shutting the makeshift door behind them. 

After agreeing to go to the broken city, everyone moved out, Allison and Tom carrying Henry on his inky bed. They had made their way to the town and found one of the bigger buildings, saying that that would be the safest place right now. They laid Henry down and Allison had used her magic to mend the man’s clothes and remove the stains. Now he was a bit more comfortable. Allison estimated it would take a few weeks before he would be back on his feet, so they just had to watch over him until then. 

Bendy, Boris, Alice, Allison, and Tom had waited outside the room and when the humans exited, Bendy looked up and asked, “How’s he doin’?”

Betty smiled. “He’s fast asleep. He doesn’t seemed to be in any pain at the moment, and his wounds are starting to heal steadily. As long as Allison keeps working her magic and we watch him, he should be up in no time. We just need to peek in every once in a while and make sure he’s okay.”

Bendy smiled, but that smile fell soon enough. “I’m sorry I got us into dis mess. I should’ve known better, and I nearly killed Henry because of the lies I was told. I promise, I’ll do everythin’ I can to make sure he gets better.”

Betty smiled and patted the little space between the demon’s horns. “That’s what I wanna hear. And I promise to you, Bendy: Henry’s gonna make it out. He’ll be fine in no time.”

*****

The next few days were spent tending to Henry’s wounds as the humans and cartoons stayed in the makeshift city. Allison would take some of the ink and repeat the process of putting it into Henry’s bloodstream to heal his wounds. It still hurt badly, but Henry was able to hold back his cries more and more with each round of ink. After each spell of healing, the toons would stay behind to talk to the man, comforting him and making sure he was eating. Henry was regaining his energy by the day, soon well enough to draw and sit up on his own.

However, the nights and times Henry slept were plagued with his cries and sobbing. Nightmares would flood his mind, making his scream and cry out in his sleep. A few of the humans and one of the toons would come to his room, only to find Henry with tears on his face. It would take a little time and a lot of reassurance to get him to sleep again, but once he did, he would sleep hard. His body was constantly lulling him back into unconsciousness. 

*****

It was after a week and a half that Bendy awoke from his sleep, hearing the soft sobs of his creator. He knew he should probably wake up one of the others, but the Devil Darling felt that he needed to go and comfort Henry by himself.

Bendy stood from his spot on the floor and made his way up the tower where Henry’s room was. He made his way to the steps and followed the cries. When he pushed open the door, he found the source. There lay the former animator, his hands curled and holding onto his blanket, eyes sealed shut as tears fell from their corners. He was sobbing hard, to the point where he was coughing and making himself sick. 

Bendy walked over to Henry with a hand out, putting it on his shoulder. “Henry,” he asked. The man didn’t respond, instead just coughed and cried. “Henry? Henry, wake up. Henry. Henry!” The sudden change in volume made the man’s eyes shoot open and he sat up, breathing heavily. Bendy watched Henry sigh after looking around and putting his hands over his face, as if in shame or fear of some kind. “Henry?”

The former animator turned his head to look at the Devil Darling, confused at first, but then remembering where he was and feeling sorrow take him. 

Bendy rubbed his shoulder. “I’m sorry for wakin’ ya, but… ya were cryin’ in your sleep. Ya okay?”

The demon cheeped as Henry suddenly wrapped his arms around him, pulling him close as he started to sob again. Bendy could feel Henry set his chin in the space between his horns and his sobs broke his heart. The next few minutes were filled with the sniffles and cries of Henry as Bendy made gentle shushing noises to try and calm the human. When Henry was just taking deep breaths and no longer coughing, Bendy patted his back and asked, “Henry… are ya okay?”

The silence that followed was unbearable, but the man answered and his reply shook Bendy to his core. 

“I’m sorry, Bendy. I had a bad dream about you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Looks like Henry is healing steadily, despite all the bad dreams! But luckily, Bendy is here for him!  
> Hope you're enjoying this story and feel free to leave kudos and comments!


	29. Studio Leader's Wrath

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, guys! Another chapter for you all today!  
> We're so close to the end of this story and I'm so excited to share this with you all! I've got the last chapters ready and I can't wait to share them with you!  
> Hope you enjoy!

The reply given had made Bendy gulp and hold onto Henry just a little tighter. He was the cause of this nightmare, these cries and his creator’s tears? The Devil Darling felt Henry move and he saw the man pick up his head from on top of his. Though there were still droplets on his face, his breathing was no longer stuttering. Bendy held onto his father for a bit longer, before pulling away and putting hands on his shoulders. “Henry… I… you had a dream about me?”

Henry nodded and whimpered in a quiet voice. “Yes… I kept having nightmares about… when we were in the Ink Machine’s room and you… you stabbed your claws into me.”

Those words made a chill run down Bendy’s spine. He wanted to take back what he had done so badly, and his mind seemed to be trying to shut that memory away. At one point, it was an angry memory, and now all it did was bring him sadness. He shouldn’t have done what he did, his creator only wanted to talk and he nearly killed him because of Joey’s lies. Bendy felt some frustration boiling inside of him. 

The Dancing Demon hated himself for what he did to Henry, but he hated Joey more because of what he told him. He had brainwashed him into thinking that Henry had betrayed them, thrown them away and trampled them to the dust, when Joey was the one who fit that bill. He was a madman, a twisted liar and he made him believe that this man was vile in nature.

Bendy shook his head. He was only making himself angry and Henry didn’t need that, he needed comfort. He took one of the man’s hands and held it gently. “Henry… I’m… I’m sorry. I really am. I should’ve listened to ya when ya came to talk to me. I shouldn’t have been so quick to anger. I never would’ve believed from anyone else dat Joey lied to me. But… ya changed me, and I think I know who I am again. I just…” He turned his head away. “I was lied to, brainwashed, and I just can’t believe I did dat to ya. I just… I know ya might not forgive me, but I can understand if ya don’t.” 

Henry took Bendy’s hands this time, holding them close. “Bendy… I do forgive you. It wasn’t your fault that you did that. Joey lied to you and you didn’t know any better. What you did was because of what you had been told. You didn’t know, Bendy, and you can’t be blamed for this. Besides… I should have come back sooner. Had I known what Joey was doing, I would have come back as soon as I came home from the war. But you’re not to blame, Bendy. Just know that I forgive you.”

The demon looked at him with his mouth slightly agape, the gap in his teeth visible. The frown turned into a smile and he hugged Henry again. “Thanks, Henry. Dat... means a lot to me.”

The two stayed in a small hug before Bendy pulled back again. Henry laid back down on his inky bed, the demon pulling the blanket over him and giving him a small pat on the head. “Sleep well, Henry,” he spoke in a soft voice. “And… thank you, for everythin’.”

*****

It had been about almost three weeks when Henry’s wounds finally healed. He had woken up after another night and he had practically sprung up from his sleeping place to greet his friends. He was able to move much better than before and almost seemed to have more vitality than before his fight with Bendy. Allison and Tom said this was likely due to the effects and magic of the ink now in his veins, but no one was worried. It was great to see Henry up again.

His nightmares faded as well, his sleep much more peaceful whenever he did rest.

It was after this time that the group decided that they really need to try and go after Joey now, knowing that he would likely be in the room with the main pentagram. Once they found Joey, they didn’t doubt that he wouldn’t go down without a fight. And after seeing what Bendy had done to Henry, the group was in some fear as to what Joey could do. He had gained great power from the dark magic he used and the group didn’t want to find out all of what he could do. But they had to stop him, before his madness reached the outside world. 

“But, Henry, we have no idea where he is,” Ms. Pendle spoke after a long talk and planning out what to do when the party found Joey. “We’re probably as low as we can go in the studio, and we still haven’t found him.”

“That’s where Bendy comes in,” Henry stated, gesturing to the Devil Darling, who was fiddling with his tail. “He was the closest to Joey, so he probably knows where we can find him.” Henry turned to Bendy. “Ben, do you remember where Joey would hide?”

Bendy blinked and put a hand on his chin. He had to reach back into his memories for a few seconds, but he found what he was looking for. “Yeah... if my memory serves me right, he’s in a room below the room for the Ink Machine. Dat’s where he made the pentagram, the main one, and dat’s where he goes to regain any power he loses.” Bendy looked up the his father. “I can take ya there, but be warned: Joey has power beyond anythin’ I thought possible. It can do things to ya that will change ya. I would only know because of what he did to me.” 

Henry nodded and looked to his friends. “Right. Everyone gather your weapons and prepare yourselves. We’re going after Joey.”

*****

It didn’t take long before the group was off again, everyone having trained a bit and prepared themselves for whatever Joey would throw at them. Though they were all terribly frightened at the idea of launching themselves into the unknown, they knew this was the only way to stop all of this. 

Everyone made their way back to the Ink Machine room and across the sea of the blackness. Bendy and Henry led the way, the Dancing Demon seeming brave despite the ink running down his brow. Henry would occasionally say soft, encouraging words to him and that kept him going.

When the group had finally reached the demon’s throne room, Bendy climbed up onto it and sat down, laughing. “Can ya believe I actually fit in dis thing? It’s way too big for me now!”

Henry chuckled a bit. “Well, you were about eight feet tall before.” He tilted his head. “Do you remember how to get to Joey’s room?”

The tiny demon nodded and pulled something out from under his seat. It was a reel labeled as, “ **DOWN BELOW.”** He placed it into a slot beside him and spun it. The room rumbled a bit, before its door closed, revealing that it wasn’t a room, it was an elevator. The lift began to move downwards and everyone looked around as Bendy spoke. “Well, here we go. Be prepared, guys. Joey’s not gonna be too happy when we get there.”

The ride wasn’t very long but felt like it took forever as the crew listened to what Bendy had to say. He walked a bit about what Joey had done in the humans’ time away from the studio, and they talked a bit about what they had been doing in that time. Their conversations were cut short when the doors opened and a long stretch of rocky hallway stood before them. The walls were dripping with ink and a few lights dimly lit the hall. It was so simple that it was a bit intimidating and made shivers run down everyone’s spines. 

Fear churned in Henry’s stomach as he looked down that hall. This was really it. Through the end of that hall was where the final battle would take place and he was more terrified than he had ever been in his life. In the war, he knew what to expect, but here, he had no clue what he and his friends were in for. For all he knew, they could be dead the moment they stepped through that door. There was no telling how Joey would deliver their deaths should they fail, but he was scared at the thought of dying by the hands of his best friend. 

Henry took some deep breaths as he began to lead the others down the hall. He couldn’t think about that now. He had to be brave. They had to win, they had to beat Joey and stop him. The good guys always win, right?

The hall seemed to get darker the further they went, and as the entrance drew near, noises came from inside. Whispers of lost souls and the sounds of their hearts beating in their ears. The voices were terribly scared and angry sounding at the same time, and they made everyone shiver. It was as if the souls of those who had been used by Joey were warning them to turn back, even as they kept moving forward. It was like they were warning them that the man would not be so merciful if they kept going. However, they didn’t let this faze them from their path. 

The entrance was right there. It was literally in front of Henry and the door that separated them from their fate seemed intimidating in a way. Henry reached for the knob, his fingers curling around it. This was it. This was where it ended.

The door was opened and everyone made their way inside. It was pretty dark, only some tall shapes could be made out against the walls. The members of the group squinted, before bright lights flashed and made them all jump back. The door slammed behind them and ink blocked their way out. What they saw in front of them made their jaws drop.

Coffins were against the walls of the large room around them. Written on them were names,  _ their names _ , in dark letters. The wooden boards they stood on were drenched with ink and the walls were splattered with it. Dark lines of the stuff stretched from the ceiling to the floor and it seemed to pulse like it was alive. Before them was the pentagram, large and glowing with a bright light.

And behind that drawing was a tall tower of ink with a throne at its top. The figure that sat in the throne was hooded, their face unseen as they turned to see their guests. A dark chuckle came from the person, who had horns poking from their hood and a devilish tail wagging back and forth. They put a hand up while the other arm was lying on one of the throne’s armrests. They tilted their head, before standing and throwing off the cloak.

There he stood, in all his glory, having barely aged and looking more menacing than ever. There he stood. Joey Drew. 

His once slicked black hair was messy and has two horns poking from it. His fair skin was pale and ghostly, his bright green eyes shining. His white shirt and gray pants were splattered with the inky blackness, as were his white shoes, black belt and black bow tie. He smiled a wicked grin, the pupils of his eyes a white color. A small black smoke emminnated from his hands and he looked down upon the humans and toons.

**_“Ah,”_ ** came a dark, echoing voice from the man. It was deep, intrepid and silky, but menacing all the same. **_“Welcome… my sheep. Welcome.”_ ** Joey held up his hands and furrowed his brows as he laughed.  **_“WELCOME TO YOUR DEMISE!”_ ** He clasped his hands behind his back.  **_“I see you have found your way to my source of power. What brings you all here?”_ **

Henry stood in the middle of their group, right in the middle of Joey’s field of vision. When he caught sight of the man, Joey’s whole demeanor changed. The room suddenly became very cold and the ink stopped moving. A feeling of dread overtook everyone as Joey’s mad smile became a deep scowl. He clenched his hands and began to shake.  **_“YOU!”_ ** He shouted, pointing a finger at Henry.  **_“YOU TRAITOR! YOU SHOULD HAVE NEVER COME BACK HERE!”_ ** Joey’s shouting made the room shudder and he huffed loudly. He suddenly shook his head, trying to regain his composure and clasping his hands behind his back again.  **_“So, Henry, you have finally returned. How has your time been with that woman? Enjoyable? Heavenly? Better than your life could have been here?”_ **

Henry’s name was practically hissed out at Joey asked these questions with no sincerity or real interest. Henry wanted to start telling him off for what had happened, but before he could speak, the green eyed man started talking again. 

**_“And just what brings you here,_ ** **_old friend?_ ** **_You obviously didn’t come just to see me. You did get my letter, but I have feeling that is not why you are here. No, you are here… to try and stop my power.”_ **

Henry frowned and furrowed his brows. “You know why I’m here, Joey. We’re not here to play games.”

Joey looked up with a face of confusion.  **_“We?”_ ** It was only then that Joey noticed that Henry was not only with others, but that they were human shapes. Beside him were humans, most with ink on their hands and faces. A few toons were beside him as well, including that menace of an angel and her wolf with the mechanical arm. There was also Boris, Alice…

And Bendy.

At seeing Bendy in his cartoon form, Joey let out a roar that made the room shake again.  **_“BENDY!”_ **

Said demon scoffed. “That’s my name, Drew. Don’t wear it out.” 

**_“WHAT DID THEY DO TO YOU?!”_ **

“They made me remember who I was, Joey,” Bendy answered, crossing his arms over his chest. “They made me realize that ya were lyin’ to me and brainwashin’ me.”

Joey seemed furious as he tangled his fingers into his hair, he looked defeated, but his face of fear turned to downright rage.  **_“Well, no matter. You have just about served your usefulness to me. I no longer need you. Not when the man I have been waiting for is right here.”_ **

Inky hands attempted to reach for Henry from the walls, but Sammy and Shawn quickly slashed at them, making them back off.

Joey’s half closed eyes blinked rapidly, as if he was surprised. He hadn’t really noticed that the humans with him were once inky beings, taken by his madness and turned into lost souls. They were mostly normal and he squinted. This had to be of Henry’s doing. Joey didn’t know how this had happened, but knew it could only be of the traitor’s work. 

Joey frowned deeply, the dimples he had showing.  **_“You may have taken away the tool of my wrath, Henry, but trust me when I say this: you will not be leaving here alive.”_ **

Henry looked up at his best friend, seeing a glint in his eyes, something shining in the light. He knew what that was. Tears. If there was any shred of the man Joey used to be in there, it was trapped beneath the man who stood before them and was trying to get out. He knew that he wouldn’t be able to talk this man into memory so easily, but the former animator knew he could try.

“Joey,” Henry started, taking a step forward. “Please, listen to me. This isn’t you, Joseph. I know who you used to be, and you’ve created a madness that has locked you away. But we’re here to free you from the inky darkness of this mess and bring you home. We know that you did this to yourself…” Henry held out a hand, making Joey hiss. “But if you let us, we can help free you from all this. I know you’re in there, Joey. Let us help you.”

The room shook violently, more so than the other times and Joey stamped a foot down on the tower where he stood, curling his hands into fists.  **_“You fool!”_ ** he shouted at his former friend, making everyone cover their ears.  **_“You really think I will so easily forgive you for what you did?! YOU ABANDONED ME, HENRY!”_ ** Joey began to float a few inches in the air, his tail lashing back and forth like a cat’s and his eyes glowing brighter. The pentagram did the same as his eyes and the light was almost blinding.

**_“You left me to rot in the financial abyss this studio was falling into. You left me to face these challenges alone, and for what?! Some girl?! And I lost all respect for you! You were supposed to stay by my side through everything! But you left me here to struggle and writhe in the pain by myself! YOU BETRAYED ME, HENRY!”_ **

Henry quickly drew his axe as more inky tendrils came from the walls and floor, seeing Joey raising his hands up. He turned and saw his human friends holding up their pipes and wrenches, while Tom and Allison drew their pipe and blade. Alice held up her hands and Boris bared his teeth. Bendy’s tail lashed like Joey’s and he curled his hands, getting into a defensive stance. 

**_“This time,”_ ** Joey continued as the humans readied themselves.  **_“You will not escape my clutches. You left me to rot, and now, you will suffer for your mistakes!”_ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Looks like it's time for the final battle, the studio v.s. Joey! Will they survive and save the studio? Find out soon!


	30. You Should Have Pushed Harder

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, guys! Another chapter for you all! This one is more of the battle between the studio members and Joey and I had SO much fun writing it!  
> Enjoy!

Henry watched as Joey’s hands rose, before he pointed towards the group and inky tendrils shot from all sides. Alice was quick to counter with her powers, forming a cloud around them that made the ink stop in its tracks. The cloud broke and everyone came out swinging, the tendrils flailing as the humans and toons made them back away or sliced them down to size. 

Joey could see that these people weren’t so foolhardy as to not train before coming here and he growled loudly. He sent more of the ink towards the group, moving his hands and manipulating the ink so it would grab some of the group.

Betty, Ms. Pendle, Tom, Bertrum, and Norman cried out in surprise as the ink took a hold of their arms and lifted them into the air. Norman and Betty kicked their legs in panic, but Allison was quick to jump up and attack the tendrils with her blade. The others did their best to catch the ones in the air and everyone was soon back up and ready.

Joey snarled again in frustration.  **_“YOU FOOLS! You really think you can survive my wrath?! You sealed your fates the moment you stepped through that door!”_ ** The man stamped a foot again, making the room shudder violently. More inky tendrils attempted to grab the group, but Allison, Henry, and Tom were quick enough to stop some of them. The others were dodged by the humans and Boris even bit down on one that tried to grab him, making it snap and writhe around. 

More ink formed puddles underneath the group, making Wally shout to the others to watch out. It was a good thing he did, because not even a moment after everyone moved, geysers of the blackness shot up in an attempt to snare the group into Joey’s clutches. The ink would shoot up, only to do the same thing in another spot as the tendrils were slashed and bashed by the humans.

Bendy, on the other hand, was running back and forth, directing the others. He was unsure what to do since his powers were gone in this form. He occasionally tried to punch the tendrils, but with his size, he didn’t do much and nearly got himself grabbed a couple of times. The tiny demon was becoming increasingly frustrated with his efforts and could feel something rising inside him as he looked up at Joey.

This man had  _ lied _ to him, twisted his mind and made him think that his own creator was the traitor when in reality, Joey was the traitor. He was a liar, a vile man with selfish reasons for turning this place into a hellhole. Bendy could practically feel his skin boiling with the rage he felt, and he could feel burning pain as he began to grow in size. His limbs thinned out, his body morphed and twisted and he could feel his tail lashing back and forth like an angry cat’s. The ink began to cloud his vision as he shifted, and soon, there stood the Ink Demon in his form from all those years.

Bendy growled and reached a clawed hand out at Joey. Joey whipped his head around to see his creation and was unprepared as Bendy grabbed him by the collar of his shirt. With Joey only being 5’4”, Bendy towered over him and Joey found a twinge of fear running through him.

The Ink Demon snarled, his sharpened teeth showing through a deep scowl.  **_“JOSEPH RUTH DREW!”_ ** Bendy’s words shook the room as Joey struggled to get away from the monster, huffing and kicking his legs. Bendy gave him a small shake and glared at him.  **_“This is the last straw! Ya lied to me! Ya told me all this s*** and brainwashed me into forgettin’ who I once was! YA USED ME AS A TOOL OF YOUR OWN SELFISH NEED TO GET REVENGE! But I’ve learned that Henry isn’t who ya say he is! He’s a kind, loving man who had to leave for reasons ya couldn’t understand! And now… now I’m gonna make ya pay for all ya did to make these people suffer!”_ **

Joey put his hands on the arm of the Devil Darling and frowned deeply.  **_“You think I am afraid of you, demon!?”_ ** shouted the studio head.  **_“I made you! I know all your weaknesses, all your thoughts, and I damn well know how to beat you!”_ ** A wicked grin crossed Joey’s face as he moved his hands again, wiggling his fingers and making a burst of ink come forth and hit Bendy in the back. It turned into spikes and they dug themselves into his ink, making him screech and drop Joey. 

Alice saw this and ran to the demon’s side, shooting a burst of holy light at Joey to distract him so she could help Bendy. The demon groaned as Alice removed the spikes, but was back on his feet soon enough, giving his sister a nod. 

Joey had dodged the light from Alice and snarled again, commanding the ink to attack her. Alice managed to float out of the way and run back to her friends, using her powers to help protect them and keep them healed. 

A few times, one of the humans would be hit and end up with some pain, but Allison was quick to use her abilities to take away the ache.

Henry could see that neither side was winning at this point and everyone could only hold out for a little longer. Everyone was exhausted now, save for Joey and Bendy, who were still clashing and trying to outwit each other. The humans and toons saw Bendy struggling against the studio head’s power, but the man was starting to have a hard time keeping up with Bendy. The Ink Demon was slashing away at the tendrils, moving from the geysers, and every time more ink tried to bury itself into him again, he would just pry it off of him. Joey was getting increasingly angry with his match being met and the energy in the room seemed to shift with his rage.

The large area suddenly shook again as Joey shouted,  **_“ENOUGH! I’M DONE PLAYING THESE GAMES! You fools may have prepared yourselves for this fight, but I will NOT be bested by mere mortals!”_ ** His eyes seemed to glow even brighter and he raised his hands up.  **_“This has gone on long enough! It’s time to end this, starting with you, Henry!”_ **

Henry looked around as the room shook again, paint beginning to chip off the walls and cracks forming on the ceiling. He held his axe close and his friends looked around frantically. They weren’t sure what Joey was doing, but they had a bad feeling about it. 

The rumbling stopped for only a moment before beginning again, this time to a point beyond violent. 

Bertrum suddenly shouted, “Mr. Stein, look out!”

Henry looked down and noticed the floor was starting to break below him. He could see more cracks forming near his friends. “EVERYONE SCATTER, GET TO STABLE GROUND!” His friends did so and everyone held onto whoever was closest to them for dear life. Before Henry could move, a tendril shot out and grabbed his right arm, turning into an inky chain and holding him there. Henry attempted to slash at it with the axe in his other hand, but that wrist was clamped into the ink as well and he was stuck in place, struggling against his bonds and dropping his weapon. 

“HENRY!” Allison shouted as she ran towards him with her sword ready. She was stopped as ink shot up and grabbed onto her limbs, nearly knocking her down and causing her to shout. 

“Allison!” Tom tried the same thing and ended up the same way, stuck in place beside his companion. The other humans and toons attempted to back away but were all captured by the inky blackness and stuck in their spots. They all shouted and tried to get free, but it seems Joey’s magic was too strong and they were trapped.

Bendy turned and saw his friends, his heart leaping into his throat at seeing them trapped. When he saw Henry, his stomach sank. He knew exactly what Joey was about to do.  **_“Henry!”_ ** He turned to his former master and shouted,  **_“RELEASE THEM, DREW! RELEASE MY FRIENDS RIGHT NOW, OR SO HELP ME--”_ **

The Ink Demon was cut out by ink wrapping around his arms and trying to restrain him. He slashed at it with his claws, but it kept coming back and eventually snagged his arms. He roared in anger and tried to lunge at Joey. This failed as more ink took his legs and stopped him completely.

Joey chuckled darkly, stepping off his tower and floating to the floor with grace. He then began to walk towards Henry, who was still trying to break free. He knew it was useless at this point but he wouldn’t stop. He couldn’t let Joey win. He couldn’t! This wasn’t how it was supposed to end! The good guys always win!

Joey finally made his way to Henry, his hands clasped behind his back. He looked over Henry and grinned wickedly. He took a hand and clasped onto Henry’s chin. The former animator winced.”

**_“Well, well, well… you have gotten yourself into quite the predicament, Henry,”_ ** Joey drawled with fake sincerity.  **_“You have brought this upon yourself, old friend. You should have never returned to this place. Though, I can say, I am glad you did. You were the final piece I needed to gain the power I deserve and I will enjoy watching your lifeforce melt away.”_ ** He laughed loudly, somehow far too loud for the room.

Henry grunted as Joey held his chin tighter and he managed to speak. “Joey, this isn’t you! I know who you really are! Please, you have to fight this! I don’t know what you did, but I know that whatever it was turned you into this! Please, come to your senses! You’re not a monster!”

Henry shook his head, tears starting to form in his eyes. “Look, Joey, I’m so sorry. I didn’t want to leave you, really, I didn’t. But… I had no choice. You know this. Had I known what was happening to this place, I would’ve come back sooner. I just… I was angry. You yelled at me as if we were never friends and I was just so mad. But… I see now that we could have mended our friendship. Please, I just ask that you come to your senses. We can fix all this. We can rebuild everything. I’m… I’m sorry.”

Joey didn’t even flinch at Henry’s words, just kept that smile with those narrowed eyes.  **_“What an inspiring little speech, Henry. Too bad it is all lies.”_ ** Joey removed his hand and stepped back.  **_“Say goodbye, Henry Stein.”_ **

The room rumbled again as the floor opened up under Henry. Before anyone could say a word, ink shot up from the floor and closed around Henry like a bubble. His screams could be heard, muffled through the ink as he was swallowed up.

“HENRY!” came Allison’s shout. Her shout mingled with the screams of the others as they watched their friend be engulfed by the inky blackness. A hand reached out from the black, but was quickly swallowed up.

“Oh, God… Henry,” Betty said in a shaky, quiet voice.

*****

The ink had taken him. Henry held his breath as it did so, afraid that if he were to open his mouth to take in air, he would drown instantly. He struggled against the ink pulling on his wrists, his ankles, his neck. He could feel his chest beginning to ache from lack of air, his lungs were starting to shrivel inside of him. Tears flooded his eyes as he tried to hold his breath. But his body demanded oxygen and he opened his mouth, gasping for air.

He didn’t find air but ink and it flooded into his system, taking him and suffocating him. Henry wanted to scream, to cry out and curse Joey, but he was beginning to lose focus as less and less blood flowed through him. He was drowning in ink, he was being taken by it. 

Henry could feel his heart slowing its rapid pace, his brain beginning to go blank. He was so scared, he didn’t want it to end this way. He wanted to break free and save his friends, but the ink was too powerful. He was really dying. He struggled the best he could, but it was getting far too tiring with the lack of air in his body. 

So this was it? This is how it ended? Henry felt sadness welling up as his mind began to shut down. He failed. He had failed to save his friends and to save the studio. He failed to stop Joey and now the madness he had brought into the studio will spread to the world. Most of all… he failed Joey. He couldn’t save his best friend and help him remember who he used to be. The suffering would continue and he had failed everyone.

Henry’s eyes closed as his heart slowed. Despite his sadness at failing to save everyone… he felt… at peace. He felt like he needed to sleep so badly. 

So this was it… this is how it ended.

Henry Stein… had failed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, it seems Henry didn't save his friends and he has failed...  
> Or has he?  
> Don't worry, this isn't the end yet!  
> Feel free to leave comments and kudos!


	31. The Angel of the Studio

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, guys! I've got one of the last chapters here!  
> There's only two more chapters after this and I will be posting them tomorrow! For now, I hope you enjoy this chapter!

Or had he?

_ Hey. Hey, wake up, Henry. _

Henry couldn’t open his eyes, but he could hear a voice speaking to him. “Who is this,” he asked.

_ That’s not important right now. What is important is that you listen to me. You’re not done yet. _

“But… aren’t I dead,” he questioned. 

_ Not exactly. You’re in a strange place right now, Henry. One very few have ever made it out of alive. _

“Where am I?”

_ You’re in a place where those who aren’t finished come. If they are being taken, but aren’t done with their work yet, they end up here. And that’s why you’re here. _

“But.. I’m pretty sure I died. I failed my friends. I tried to save them all and I just ended up dying. Now, my best friend is going to make so many more people suffer.”

Gentle hands suddenly touched his face and he opened his eyes to see a white figure with gray lined features looking down upon him.

_ Don’t say that, Henry. You didn’t fail anyone. You did what you could. You are only human, after all. You’re just a man, Henry, not a prophet.  _

“Than… why am I here? If I’m only a man, what am I doing here?”

_ You’re here because your work is not done yet. You have a friend and studio to save. _

“But… but what can I do to save them? I already did everything I could.”

_ Maybe, but I can help you, Henry. You don’t have to do this alone. Here, take this. _

A small orb of light was placed from the figure’s dainty hands into one of Henry’s palms. He looked down at it and raised a brow. “What is it?”

_ Something you’ll need. Now, go, Henry. Your friends need you. _

A kiss was placed onto his forehead and everything went blank.

*****

Joey was laughing like a madman as he watched Henry’s hand shrink back into the ink. Everyone else in the room had watched in horror as Henry was swallowed up. Allison looked to Joey with a deep scowl. “YOU! You killed him! You killed Henry!” As she was shouting at him, inky tears were forming in Allison’s eyes. She looked to her friends to see tears dripping down their faces as well, even the face of Tom who rarely, if ever shed a tear. Allison turned back to Joey and growled. “You’re a lunatic, a madman! You just wanted to see him suffer!” He voiced was becoming angry and saddened at the same time. “Well, he suffered, you bastard! You got what you wanted!”

Joey turned his head to look at Allison and he chuckled again.  **_“You are right. I got what I wanted. But… I don’t think it’s enough. How about we see what it can do to you all before we breach the studio?”_ **

Allison’s face turned to horror. No, no, no! This wasn’t how it was supposed to go! Joey was supposed to be defeated and everyone would be happy! Now, he was going to kill them all and then… then go after the world, the public, innocents who didn’t deserve to be engulfed by his madness. And they had failed. They had really failed.

A sudden bright light caught her eye and Allison turned to look at the bubble that had swallowed Henry. Holes were forming in the orb and light was coming from the ink. “Guys, look!”

Everyone’s attention turned to where their friend had been as the light began to melt away the bubble. Joey whipped his head around at hearing gasps, and his eyes went wide. 

A light floated from the fading ink and inside that light was the body of Henry, limp as a ragdoll as he rose higher and higher into the air. Circles went around him as he was turned upright and his body came to life. Something began to move and light spread from Henry’s back and head. The light turned into a pair of wings and a halo and some of the light formed bright colored markings on Henry’s face. His eyes were still closed as he floated to the ground, landing on his feet.

Joey’s eyes were as wide as could be and he looked in surprise and fury. No… no, he was dead! He couldn’t be alive! He was drowned in the ink! He was dead, damn it!

The light faded and there stood an angel, a holy being, the true heart of the studio. A blue mist floated from his closed eyes, but when they opened, they were still that beautiful bright blue. The angel stared down Joey with a determined expression as his wings flapped. He lifted himself into the air, holding out a hand. It caused the ink trapping his friends to fade and crumble away and freed them. Everyone huddled together as the man smiled down at them. 

_ “Please, don’t be afraid,”  _ came his voice. It was Henry’s voice, but at the same time, it wasn’t. It sounded like him, but it echoed as if from a being of great power.  _ “It’s me, Henry. I’m here to save us.”  _ He turned his gaze to Joey, sharpening his expression.  _ “And to stop your madness.”  _

Joey felt genuine terror at seeing the man’s face. There was no fear in those eyes, only anger and a determination he had never seen. He summoned more ink and pointed to Henry, but when the blackness tried to touch him, he sent out bolts of light that stopped them in their tracks.

Joey let out a growl and began to shout.  **_“No! THIS WASN’T SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN! YOU’RE SUPPOSED TO BE DEAD!”_ **

_ “But I’m not, am I?”  _ A hand reached and gently took one of Joey’s hands.  _ “Please, Joey, this isn’t you. If you’ll just let me, I’ll help you. I don’t want to fight anymore.” _

The words seemed to strike a nerve in Joey, because he pulled his hand away and hissed loudly.  **_“You really think simple words will change me?! You really think you words can sway me?! YOU ARE A FOOL!”_ ** He backed away and smiled like a crazy person.  **_“If you think your words can stop me, you are wrong!”_ **

_ “Well, I guess I have no choice but to fight you, Joey. I apologize for this.”  _ Henry held out a hand and a burst of light knocked Joey back onto his tower, making him roll into his throne. 

He snarled and looked up at Henry, who was floating there with that same face. Joey got back to his feet and grinned.  **_“Just like old times… right, old pal?”_ **

Henry and Joey looked to each other for a few more seconds, before Joey made the first move. He shot forth more ink, trying to wrap it around Henry again, but the angel simply put up his hands. Words of light appeared on all sides of him and protected him. He took his turn and fired another blast, Joey sidestepping it and charging at Henry. The man was stopped when the angel grabbed a hold on his wrist and swung him in a circle, tossing him against the wall. 

Dizzy stars danced around Joey’s head as he slid down the wall he was against. It would have been comical if his expression when he recovered wasn’t so terrifying. 

The possessed man shouted up at the angel, who took off into a graceful dive towards him. Joey attempted to stop him with more ink but as Henry dove, he was protected by holy light surrounding him. He held out his arms, scooping up the black haired man under his own arms and lifting him into the air as Henry soared back upwards. Joey struggled and yelled in the grip of his old friend but Henry refused to let that deter him. He lifted him up until a spike of ink caught him off guard and launched itself into one wing. Though it didn’t tear his wing, it still hurt and Henry cried out, dropping Joey. 

The demonic man rolled onto one knee and grinned madly. He summoned more in to attack Henry and a few of the tendrils actually cut him on the arms. However, the wounds would quickly be replaced by light and heal up in seconds. Despite Henry’s noises of pain, he was still holding up and this infuriated Joey to no end. He manipulated one of the large pulsing ink towers on the walls and sent it flying towards Henry.

The angel could hear a voice in his mind tell him to watch out and he took off, his wings flapping as he flew around the room, attempting to shake the tendril off of him. He felt himself grabbed by the foot after a moment of this, but he blasted the ink off once more. He then flew back towards Joey and grabbed him by the collar of his shirt. Joey tried hitting Henry and squirmed around in his grip. 

Henry never let go this time, speaking to Joey despite the man’s attempts to escape.  _ “Joey, stop your struggling. You don’t have to fight me like this.” _

**_“You fool! Unhand me right now! I will not fall to you, Henry! You are the reason this all happened! You are the reason I suffer in this state! You were supposed to pay for your mistake!”_ **

_ “I know you’re suffering, Joey,”  _ Henry cooed in a soothing tone.  _ “But you were the one who brought this upon yourself. I can fix you, I can end this suffering, but you must trust me.” _

**_“NEVER!”_ ** Joey suddenly lashed out and punched Henry in the face, throwing him off just a bit. He continued to throw his hands out in an attempt to escape, but Henry held fast and brought a hand up to the side of Joey’s face.  **_“What are you doing?! Get your hand away from me!”_ **

Henry shook his head. He knew what he had to do now and it wasn’t going to be easy. No doubt Joey would struggle, but this was the only way to fix everything. Putting his hand against Joey’s face, the flesh burned against his skin and the studio head screeched in anger. He managed to get some kicks in and got Henry in the legs, but he didn’t let that faze him. He kept his fingers on Joey’s cheek despite the protests and slowly, the familiar white light from before was engulfing them. 

*****

_ “Henry… where are we?” _

_ “We’re in the studio, Joey. And you’ve been possessed.” _

_ “What do you mean?” _

_ “Something evil has taken you over. You’re not to man you used to be… the man I knew. The man I called my best friend.” _

_ “Wait… when did this happen?” _

_ “About ten years ago, Joey. C’mon. Let’s go home.” _

_ “...Are you sure?” _

_ “Yes. Let’s go home, Joey.” _

*****

When the light had completely taken over Henry and Joey, there was silence. The group covered their eyes until the light had faded, and there were two shapes in the fading glow. Henry’s wings flapped gently as he floated down, down, down to the ground with another shape in his arms, only illuminated by Henry’s wings, halo, and markings. He knelt as he held the figure close and when they were both kneeling on the ground, the wings and halo faded, as did the markings.

Henry looked down as he heard a groan, opening his once glowing blue eyes. He recognized that voice. He could feel a shape shivering in his embrace and he knew what had happened. Black hair blocked out the face of the person he held and he whispered in a soft voice, “...Joey?”

The man shivered, holding tightly to his friend, before lifting his head up and opening his eyes. One was a bright orange from being surrounded by ink, the other a brilliant green. He tilted his head a bit and managed to find his voice, despite it sounding very scratchy. “...Hen… Henry?”

“Joey… is it you? Is it really you?”

“What do you mean?” He looked around, just now noticing the ink and the group staring at them in awe. Joey raised a brow in confusion. “Wait… what… what… Henry, what happened? Why… why do I… what…”

“Joey,” Henry asked. “You remember everything, right?”

Joey seemed to look down in thought for a moment, before his eyes stared to water. He remembered… he remembered everything. And he meant  _ everything. _ He felt like he was going to cry as Henry placed a hand on his head. He suddenly sobbed out, “Henry… I… I remember. I remember everything. I remember the ink, and the machine, and the cartoons and… and…” His lip trembled and he looked up at his friend. He suddenly let out a shuddery noise and cried out, “Henry… Henry, what have I done?!” Joey buried his face in Henry’s chest and began to cry as loud as he could, everyone watching him with confusion at what just happened. 

Henry, however, put his arms around Joey and gently rocked him back and forth, saying soft words of reassurance to calm him.

It was over. The old Joey Drew had returned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The gang finally did it! Joey is free! But what drove him to do such things? And what will be the fate of the studio?  
> Find out soon!


	32. Who am I, Henry?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone! I have the second to last chapter here! I'm so excited to finish this story and I can't wait to share the end with you guys!  
> Enjoy!

By the time Henry finished explaining everything to Joey and telling his and his friends’ story once more, he and Joey were cold, hungry and worn out to the bone. The battle and use of the powers they had gained had worn them both out beyond the point of exhaustion. Henry and Joey were barely able to stand by the time they had finished telling their story. Allison and Tom had to carry them as Joey guided them to a way to get back to the upper floors of the studio. It was an old elevator that only Joey had ever used, but it was big enough for everyone to fit inside and take a ride in.

Soon enough, the group was on the first floor of the studio, where Henry had entered and started this journey. Henry almost fell to the floor as he was set on the wooden boards, being so weak from the battle. The group decided to head to the employee pub and talk there and rest up a bit as they did so.

When everyone was downstairs with something to eat besides bacon soup and were settled in their chairs, all eyes moved to Joey. He was weakly eating some cake he had saved and looked surprised when he noticed everyone staring at him. “What?”

“Joey… we told our side of the story,” Betty stated. “But… we still need to know: what happened that made you do all this?”

A shiver ran down the studio head’s spine at the question. He knew exactly what had happened and he was terrified to recall it. However, considering everything that they had been through, his friends deserved an explanation. “Okay… okay, I can explain what I did.” He shifted in his seat, pushing his cake away.

*****

“About ten years ago, the studio was beginning to spiral down. Finances were tough and we were losing profits and not being very good with deadlines and the quality of the cartoons. Things were starting to go downhill and I greatly feared what would happen if I didn’t do something. I was deathly afraid that I was going to lose the studio, lose everything I worked so hard to achieve. I was so scared, Henry.

“I know things would have been better if you were here, because you’re my rock. You were always there for me when things got tough, so when the studio started to spiral, I was terrified. I was so scared that everything we worked together to make would all be for naught and would get trampled to the dust and forgotten. 

“So I asked Sammy for any ideas or anything he could tell me to help me with my fears and stress. He told me to try turning to faith, like he had after his father died. He told me that turning to faith had helped him get over his grief and see that his father’s death was just part of a cycle and that he would no longer be suffering. So he suggested I try turning to religion to help me get through this. He said as long as I had faith, I would be able to get through anything.

“So I did things like praying, putting some crosses in my office, and even reading the bible on the occasion. But none of it worked. Things just got worse. The studio was in financial trouble and everything was going down fast. I was so angry, so frustrated with everything, and I was angry that all this religious s*** wasn’t working. No one was helping, no one was giving me hope and assurance that everything would be better if I kept going; none of it was working.

“I was so angry and scared, I couldn’t control myself anymore. I decided to take matters into my own hands.”

*****

“Ultimately,” Joey said as everyone stared wide eyed. “I paid the price for messing with things I shouldn’t have been, and it seems everyone else did too. Everyone suffered for my actions. I never meant for all this to happen. I only meant for things to get better.”

He finished those words with tears rolling down his face. Joey’s lip trembled and he was fidgeting with his hands as he looked up.

No one knew what to say. They were all in complete shock. Joey didn’t have such malicious intentions as they first thought, but they knew what he did had caused so much pain to others. It had caused so much worry from the families of the employees and it had caused so much suffering for the people who had been trapped here. How they were going to fix all this is something they were unsure of, but they knew they’d have to soon.

Henry was the first to speak up. “Joey… why didn’t you talk to me? If things really were going downhill like that, you should have come to me or wrote me a letter. Hell, you could have even come to my house and talked.”

“Henry, I… I was scared.” Joey’s eyes spilled over again and his closed them tight. “I was so scared.”

“Of what, Joey?”

“That… that you hated me.”

Henry put a hand on his chest. He seemed taken aback by the studio head’s words. “Joey… why would I hate you?”

“Because of the fight we had before you left, Henry.” Joey looked at his best friend with a mixture of sadness and anger on his face. “Because of all the dumb things I said before you had to go to war. I said so many horrible things about you, about everything you stood for. I said that you were just going to get yourself killed if you didn’t let me get you out of the draft. I said that you were abandoning me for no reason, that you were just being selfish when I clearly knew that you had no choice. I was just… terrified of losing you, Henry.

“I was terrified of losing my best friend to something we could have found a way out of if you had just let me work my magic. I didn’t want to get the message from Linda that you had been killed in action when I could have stopped it. I was just… I didn’t want to lose the one person who I still have that I care about in this world.” 

Henry felt his heart breaking at Joey’s words. He remembered that most of Joey’s closest family members were gone, dead or never keeping contact with him after he moved out of his childhood home. Henry was the only one Joey really had after he moved out. Henry had always been there and they had even shared an apartment for a bit. He was there for Joey when no one else could be.

Henry stood and walked to the table where Joey sat, putting one of his hands on the other’s hands. “Joey, look at me.”

Joey looked up. “Yes?”

“Joey, I could never hate you. And I understand how scared you were of losing me. Look, we may have had that fight before I left, but… you could have just come to me when I came home from the war. I could never hold a grudge on you. You’re the best pal I have and I couldn’t hate you, even after everything you did. You… you’re a wonderful man. You’re a strong, confident, idealistic leader and I can’t help but look up to you for having gotten as far as you did without me.

“Joey, you’re my best pal. Even after everything, I see that you made a mistake and just played with things you shouldn’t have. But that’s okay, because we can fix this.” Henry smiled softly, those enchanting blue eyes full of hope.

Joey looked into those eyes and his sadness turned into something better, something more… human. He felt something he hadn’t truly felt in over ten years:

Happiness.

Ms. Pendle stood and looked at the men with her hands on her hips. “Well, I hate to ruin the moment, but I think we have a lot we need to take care of. We need to figure out how to clean up all this ink and what to do with the other employees. They’ll surely press charges on Joey for kidnapping them, and… I don’t want him to go to jail.”

Henry turned to look at his friends, tapping his chin in thought. This was going to be an awfully big mess to clean up, and he was uncertain what the future of Joey Drew Studios looked like. Joey technically did kidnap the former employees, but he knew Joey would never last in prison. The man was delicate, mentally and physically.

_ Don’t worry, Henry, I can help with that. Just let me take over for a bit. _

Henry nodded. “I think I can fix this, guys. Just let me do all the talking.” 

_ SLAM _

“JOEY DREW! WHERE IS MY HUSBAND, JOEY?!”

Everyone looked to the staircase as a woman’s voice came from above, the tone beyond scorned and the footsteps following loud. Henry felt a jolt of panic and he spoke, “Uh, oh.”

Betty turned her head. “Who is that, Henry?”

“My firecracker of a wife.”

The steps came much closer and the door to the pub was slammed open, a woman stepping in. She was a little shorter than Henry, with short red hair, green eyes, and tanned skin. She wore a pink long sleeve with a white skirt and black heels, and a pearl necklace with a matching bracelet. A wedding ring shined from her left hand. And in that hand was a rolling pin. 

Linda looked down and saw the group watching her and she raised a brow. However, her face turned to fury when she spotted Joey. “JOEY DREW!”

Joey suddenly bolted from his chair with a girlish scream and Linda ran down the stairs after him, chasing him around the room as she shouted at him. 

“LINDA, PLEASE, NO!”

“WHAT DID YOU DO WITH MY HUSBAND, JOEY?!”

“AHHHHHH!”

“ANSWER ME, JOEY!”

“LINDA, STOP!”

“JOEY!”

Henry watched as everyone else laughed at the girly screams of the studio head, and Henry was unsure whether or not he should stop his wife. Joey did put him through so much, after all, so maybe he deserved a little fear instilled in him after all this.

But, maybe he should stop Linda before she beats him with her rolling pin. 

Henry stepped between Joey and Linda when she cornered the man and he put hands on her shoulders. “Linda, please stop.”

Linda blinked, before looking up and smiling at her husband. “Oh, there you are, Henry! What… wait… what on earth happened here? Why do you… seem different from before?” 

“It’s a pretty long story, Linda. But… I think I know something I can do so we don’t have to tell it again.” Before she could say another word, Henry kissed her forehead. 

Linda couldn’t describe what happened next other than that someone else’s memories were appearing before her eyes. From the entering of the studio, to finding Bendy and Betty, to meeting the cartoons, all the way to the fight with Bendy and the near death battle against Joey. When the memories faded, Linda nearly fainted from the energy leaving her and returning to Henry. He caught her in his arms and Linda blinked up at him, her eyes watering. “Hen… Henry… you…”

“I know it’s a lot to take in, but it all happened to me. And everyone else here.” 

Linda shook her head. “But, how did you do that? What on earth did Joey do to you?”

“That’s the only thing I don’t know. I don’t know where all these powers are coming from, but they seem to be staying with me. I think… I think whoever gave them to me knew that I was supposed to fix everything. Whoever they were… they saved me, and helped me save everyone else.”

Tom looked at Henry, clearing his throat. “Well, now that your wife here knows what happened, we should probably get to fixing everything up. No doubt those employees want to be let out from this place. And we need to figure out all the details of what’s gonna happen to this place.”

Henry nodded. “Yeah. It’s not gonna be easy, but… I think we can get this place up and running in no time.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Looks like everyone is up to speed now! But what will be the future of Joey Drew Studios?  
> Find out a little later today!


	33. Henry and Joey Studios

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone! And here it is! The final chapter! This chapter is like an epilogue and shows what happened after everything gets fixed. It's shorter, but I hope you enjoy!

_ Three years later… _

*****

Henry stepped into Henry and Joey Studios with the biggest grin on his face, Bendy, Boris, and Alice following and splitting up as Henry looked around. His blue eyes were bright as he stepped into the main room, seeing that the studio was already bustling. “Good morning, everyone!”

The people turned and waved and smiled, some still looking a little sleepy.

“Good morning, Mr. Stein!”

“Morning, Henry!”

“Heya, Mr. Stein!”

Henry made his way into the art department, seeing many of the animators already getting to work. He shouted into the room, “Morning, everyone! We’re still ahead of the deadline, so don’t stress too much today! You guys are doing great!”

Applause and cheers came from the employees, praise to their new boss. Henry then made his way through the main room, seeing Bendy and Alice already working on some papers on a nearby table. Boris was heading towards the room with the Ink Machine with Thomas Connor leading him. The former animator headed to the employee pub, taking the steps down and greeting the employees as they said their good mornings to him.

Henry made his way to the coffee maker and poured himself a cup. A white gloved hand landed on his shoulder. A chuckle came from behind him.

“And how are we today, my little sheep?”

He turned to see Sammy Lawrence dressed in his usual outfit, save for his new white gloves. They matched those of all the employees who had been affected by the ink. Sammy’s orange and purple eyes were full of genuine happiness.

Henry smiled and replied, “I’m doing well, ‘prophet Lawrence.’ And you?”

“I’m doing well. Would you like something to eat? Wally brought a cake and we’re sharing it now.”

A hand was held up a polite manner. “Thank you, but Linda already made me breakfast. Besides, I need to go see Joey here in a few minutes.”

“Alright. I’ll be sure to save you a piece,” Sammy stated with a wink. 

Henry nodded and made his way out of the pub and down the halls. Three small shapes ran by his feet and he nearly tripped. “Whoa! Barley, Charley, Edgar, slow down! Made sure you guys don’t trip someone!” The Butcher gang looked back at him, muttering small apologies before being on their way again. 

“Hey, Henry! Good morning!”

Henry turned to see Susie and Mrs. Pendle-Connor waving to him, papers in hand. He waved back and asked, “How are you guys?”

“Good! Can’t wait to see how the next cartoon comes out!”

The former animator then made his way down a few of the halls, waving to his friends and coworkers. Norman was already in the projector booth of the music department and had the projector going. Wally was cleaning up a bit before the band came in, and he actually had his keys on his side. 

“Hey, Henry, catch!” 

Henry turned and a Bendy plushie landed in his arms as he looked to see who had thrown it. Shawn was smiling widely with a paintbrush in one hand. “Mornin’, Henry! How does that one look?”

The former animator looked over the toy. “It looks good, Shawn! You really do wonders with a paintbrush.” He tossed it back to the head of the toy factory and started making his way down the hall again. As he headed to the elevator, he spotted Allison and Tom talking, Allison seeming a little more chipper than usual. That was a good sign to Henry, as after the Ink Machine Incident, she was very hesitant and worried about all the big changes. When the couple saw Henry, they waved and said their good mornings and he greeted them, asking how their night had been.

When their chat was over, he entered the elevator and set it to head to the floor with administration offices. The ride wasn’t very long and when he arrived, Henry waved to the girl at the reception desk and made his way down the halls, passing by Grant and asking how he was doing. Grant seemed well with Betty helping him and the finances were doing much better. And Grant seemed much better himself.

Henry finally made his way to Joey’s office, seeing that the door was open. He peeked inside and saw his friend with a pencil in hand, scribbling something down on some papers. “Knock, knock,” Henry spoke as he knocked on the door. 

Joey looked up from his papers, his expression turning to a happier one. “Henry, my friend! Good morning!” 

“Morning, Joey! You wanted to see me?”

“Yes! Would you mind shutting the door, please?”

Henry did as he was asked and turned to his friend, who rose from his seat and walked over to him. He took a hold of one of Henry’s hands and looked up at him with a soft expression. “Henry, do you know how long it’s been since the Ink Machine Incident?”

Henry took a moment to think. “I think… two years.”

“Three. Today marks the third year since the incident; three years since you freed us all.” He smiled and let out a soft chuckle. “Henry, I know I said this already, but, I need to thank you once more. You really did save my life and the lives of everyone in the studio.”

“Joey, it’s no trouble. You’re my best friend and I know that saving you was the right thing to do. You may have done some things that weren’t the best, but you’ve turned a new leaf and become a better man now. And honestly, I can say I’m proud of you for all you’ve done to change yourself and this place.”

“Thank you, Henry. I know you say it’s no trouble, but I just can’t express how grateful I am for you. You’ve done so much in the past few years for me, for us, and for everyone in this world. Had it not been for you, who knows what I would have done to this studio, much less the world. You saved us all, Henry. You’re an angel, and you stopped me from doing horrible things. You really are a savior and under your care, this place is flourishing. I just can’t thank you enough for changing me and changing this place. Soon, we’ll have the studio to its former glory.”

Henry couldn’t help but smile, and he wiped the tears forming in Joey’s eyes. He could see that Joey really was grateful for everything he had done. “I think so too.”

Joey grinned again, before walking back to his desk and picking up his papers. “Well, I need to head to Grant’s office. Gotta get these papers to him.”

“How about I go with you? I’d like to spend a little time with you today.”

A nod was given and the two men were off. They put their hands on each other’s shoulders and laughed as they talked.

Henry couldn’t help but feel a sense of peace as he followed Joey. All those years ago, when the studio was founded, he never would have imagined it would be as big as it got. If you had told him 30 years ago that he would in this studio after the war, going on a journey to save his best friend and the whole studio, he would have told you that you were crazy. But he had lived it and been through it, and honestly? Henry could say that he was happy it happened. 

Had he not followed through with that letter, he had no idea what would have happened to everyone here, much less the city and beyond. He was glad everything could be peaceful again. Henry knew that his life would never really be “normal” again, but he could say he was perfectly happy with that. He wouldn’t trade this life for anything. He knew there would be challenges ahead but he was more than ready to face whatever the world would throw at them.

Henry Stein was happy, happier than anyone in the world. And he knew there were great things waiting for him in this life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so it ends.   
> Thank you to all of you who joined me on this journey with this story! It was so much fun to watch the game's lore expand and add to my AU and still keep it as my own. Thank you all who have left comments and kudos and enjoyed this story. I'm so happy to finish it and I hope you enjoyed my take on the BATIM story.   
> Don't worry though, this isn't the end of my AU! If you want to see the continuing adventures of the gang in my AU, I have a blog for them, bendydrewstudios on tumblr! I also have lots of stories planned for this AU!  
> Thank you for joining me!

**Author's Note:**

> So, what was behind that door? What awaits Henry inside the studio? Find out in the next chapter!


End file.
